Golden Spheres and Silver Snow Complete
by Simone of the Zordiak
Summary: After Phibrizo's death, someone has to take over the position of Hellmaster. Attention: MM mentioning nothing graphic or explizit, just hints, but if you don't like it, I did warn you
1. Mei-ou-sama's Rebirth

Author's Rant:  
  
After reading a lot of Slayers Fanfiction, I decided to give  
it a try myself. I have only seen the first 12 eps of Slayers  
(as subbed Originals) because I live in Germany and more tapes haven't  
been released here until now, so most I know about the show is from  
the Internet. So if the characters are a little OOC bare with me.  
  
I started at a point that always confused me: I heard and read  
that the Lord of Nightmare had promised not to interfere in the  
world of Slayers, but by destroying Phibrizo she did interfere  
quite heavily. Since that bugged me a lot I decided to solve it  
my way: "Rewrite what you don't like".   
  
From the first draft the Fic has changed rather drastically, for  
example, the figure of the Mazoku Lord Dynast Grausherra didn't  
appear at all in my first draft and now he's one of the main cast.  
His developing relationship with Zelgadis wasn't planned either.  
  
Since I know next to nothing about the adventures of the group during  
Slayers Try (except the final results) I left it to my imagination,  
to make things up, so the situations differ a lot from the anime.  
  
One last thing: I'm not a native English speaker and the German  
grammar differs a lot from the English one. I used a spellchecker  
on the story before I sent it out, but that doesn't help with  
grammar mistakes. So there might be a lot of them... sigh. Please  
ignore them.  
  
Rating: differs with the various parts  
  
Warning: M/M pairing. If you don't like it, don't read further.  
  
Pairing: Zelgadis/Dynast, Filia/Gaav (yes I know that it is odd,  
but I think they are cute together)  
  
Distribution: If you want it, take it, just tell me so I know where  
it goes to.  
  
Disclaimer: "Slayers", its characters, places and situations don't  
belong to me, but to Rui Araizumi, Hajime Kanzaka and  
Shoko Yoshinaka.   
  
Feedback: Constructive Critic is always welcomed.  
Please, if you don't tell me what's wrong I can't learn from  
my mistakes.  
Flamers beware, I have a really good memory and a set of  
flamer-trained chibi piranhas ^_^  
  
  
Title: Golden Spheres and Silver Snow  
Author: Simone of the Zordiak  
Part: 1/?  
E-mail: burning_night@hotmail.com  
  
He was cold, so cold when he woke up. Cold and confused. What had   
happened? He didn't know. Everything was so blurry and strange. There  
had been this boy... suddenly he remembered. Remembered everything up  
to the moment when he had seen Mei-ou Phibrizo breaking one of his crystals,  
the shock, the realization, when he fell, that this soulorb was his own.  
So, was he dead now? He should be, yet he felt no difference. So maybe  
he was still alive...alive again... but how? Why? A hand reached out to  
help him up and automatically he took it, standing up. Only when he   
looked at the owner of the hand he realized that it had been Xellos who  
had helped him up, but he couldn't be picky in a situation like this.  
"What happened?" he asked, already dreading the answer.   
"She happened." Xellos replied shortly, without his usual smile, pointing  
towards the center of the temple.  
"Lina," he muttered as he saw the small figure of the sorceress drenched  
in golden light. "No, not Lina. She casted the Giga Slave, but it went  
wild, consumed her. This is the Mother of all. The Lord of Nightmare."   
  
His eyes widened as he listened to the mazoku. If he didn't lie and why  
should he lie about this, then this was the creator of this world, maker  
of Ruby eye Shabranighdo and the Flare dragon Ceipheid.  
  
The decievingly small and frail form of the Mei-ou-sama steeped in front  
of her, trying to destroy Lina's body to set the golden chaos free, yet  
she utterly destroyed him with a single wave of her hand.  
Then she slowly turned around to them, walking, no, gliding towards them  
with slow, measured steps.  
  
"Balance must be restored," she declared and her voice rang through them  
on a primal level, to settle deep inside their cells.  
"What does she mean?" Zelgadis asked confused.  
"When she created this world, L-sama promised not to interfere, no matter  
what would happen. So when she destroyed Phibrizo, she unbalanced the  
world, because she interfered."  
"So she needs to rebalance it," Zel concluded, "but how...." His voice  
left him when the figure, that looked so much like Lina, yet wasn't her,  
stopped to stand in front of him.  
  
"The balance will be restored." She pointed at him and a wave of gold  
rushed at him, shrouding him in a ball of unnamed power. "Now," she  
said and Zelgadis screamed as the energy invaded him to change him  
forever.  
  
***  
  
Gold, gold everywhere.... surrounding him like a blanket, soft and  
warm, secure like a mother's embracement, welcoming his weary body  
home. Gold... soothing him when he woke up in this strange dream... it  
was a dream... wasn't it?   
  
"Child...," a low voice murmured in his head, a voice he felt like he  
should recognize, yet his head was stuffed with so many new things that  
he couldn't remember. Slowly he uncurled out of his foetal position,  
looked around. A bed, he was in a bed made out of golden energy, and  
someone had tucked a blanket carefully around him. A shimmering woman  
sat on edge of the bed. It had been her voice that had roused him out  
of his peaceful slumber.  
  
He blinked sleepily at her. "Who are you?" A smile fluttered over the  
woman's face and she walked around the bed to sit next to his confused  
form. Something about her was hauntingly familiar, the way she walked,  
smiled, everything about her screamed "Recognize me!" yet he couldn't  
figure it out.  
  
She laughed, a sound like silver bells and waves of gold danced around  
her. He froze as hew finally recognized her.  
"Shhh..." Her hand stroked his hair, moving through the stiff wire like  
it was the softest of silk, ".... it is all right, child."  
He wanted to ask what had happened, where they where and what she had  
done with him, but he couldn't speak, couldn't move a single muscle,  
he was paralyzed with fear and shock.  
  
L-sama never stopped smiling as she gathered him in her arms and her  
hand was still stroking through his hair. It felt good, really good.  
Nobody had done that in a very long time... even before he had become  
a chimera. She started to hum an old melody and he snuggled closer to  
her, his eyes already dropping as she sent him through the last phase  
of changes.  
  
***  
  
He had seen a lot in his more than a thousand years long life and there  
weren't many things that could surprise him anymore, yet this was a  
completely unexpected turn of events.   
With wide opened eyes Xellos watched the golden-glowing figure of the  
chimera, felt and saw the changes as more and more of the golden power  
was absorbed into Zelgadis' body. It looked to be rather a painful  
process... how nice.  
  
With a bright flash the last of the golden light evaporated and Zel's  
unconscious body was lowered to the ground. Xellos scanned him critically,  
yet he couldn't find any differences... except for one strand of his hair.  
The previously silvery violet hair had turned to gold where it hung  
over his right eye. It looked like someone had woven golden wire between  
his steel hair.  
  
Zelgadis moaned softly, the first sign that he was about to wake up,  
and when he opened his eyes, Xellos finally understood exactly what had  
happened and he starred in open shock. Nestled between the black of his  
slit pupils and the blue of his iris, bands of gold had appeared,  
surrounding the pupils with glowing power. And his presence... it felt  
like darkness and lightning and death. As powerful as Mei-ou-sama had  
felt to him. Zel stood up, looked around and then focused on him. For  
the first time he felt the power of the new Mazoku Lord concentrated on  
him... it wasn't a pleasant feeling.  
  
The focus of the eyes shifted away from him and he felt like he had   
just gotten a new chance at life. He didn't like to admit it, but   
Zelgadis was scaring him. Scaring him much more than Phibrizo ever   
had, more than his master or the other Mazoku Lords could ever hope to  
achieve. And the deadly calm that surrounded the chimera was enhancing  
the effect even more.  
  
Finally the searching eyes had found what they had sought, shattered   
bits of crystal, the rests of the soulorbs of his friends. A gesture  
and the broken bits flew up to hover over his hand. Then he stopped,  
his eyes seeking out Xellos again. "They are not to know what happened  
here. Everything shall remain the same for them, understood?" Xellos  
nodded. "Yes, Mei-ou-sama."   
  
"Good." Zelgadis concentrated and the golden bands around his pupils  
vanished, as did the golden strand of hair. His dangerous aura seemed  
to fold into itself until he was able to imitate his previous aura, that  
of the chimera. He looked and felt the same as he had before L-sama had  
changed him, but the crystal shades, still hovering over his hand, were  
destroying the illusion. "L-sama wishes that I continue to travel with  
them until the prophecy of Karyu-ou Valbazard has been fulfilled."   
He said, absentmindedly, while he watched the bits slowly merging again,  
to become what they once had been... the soulorbs of his friends.  
  
"And now," he said with a half-smile as he saw Xellos' shocked face,   
"it is showtime."  
  
***  
  
It was strange, he pondered, strange how suddenly a situation could  
change, twist out of excepted lanes and become something totally  
different. But these were useless musings now and he abandoned the  
thoughts before he entered his master's den. Xellas wouldn't be so  
pleased.   
  
"The God-sealing barrier has fallen," Xellas said without looking at  
her priest, "so I assume that Phibrizo is no problem anymore." She  
spoke with the air of satisfaction, Phibrizo, strongest of the five  
generals of Shabranighdo, he had been the one to interfere with her  
plans many times and now....   
  
"Phibrizo was destroyed as you predicted, Juu-ou-sama, but...." "But  
what?" The tone of his master's voice wasn't very pleasant. Xellos  
swallowed and continued quickly. "Lina Inverse lost control over the  
the Giga Slave. She got possessed by Lord of Nightmare-sama and L-sama  
destroyed Mei-ou-sama. L-sama's interference unbalanced the fate of  
the world and to rebalance it she infused another being with the power  
of..." "NO!" Xellas shouted. She jumped up from her divan and started  
to pace. Another Mei-ou wasn't a good outcome. Phibrizo at least had   
been a known force, the new Lord of the Dead was an unknown variable in  
the powerplay between the Mazoku Lords. A dangerous variable.  
  
"Who?" "L-sama choose one of Lina Inverse travel companions, the chimera,  
as the new Mei-ou-sama. He has been infused with her power and is still  
traveling with them. They don't know about his change of status and  
they will not know about it until the prophecy of the Karyu-ou Valbazard  
has been fulfilled. Orders from L-sama." Xellas started to swear.  
This was worse than she had expected. The chimera. Why the chimera? As  
long as he had searched for a non-existent cure he had been predictable,  
but now, thrown in this new situation and without his previous goals, he  
would become the most unpredictable of the Mazoku Lords. Strong, logical  
and highly intelligent as he was, he would become a more fearsome opponent  
now than Phibrizo. And he was stronger than her. Was he? "Have you seen  
him use his powers yet?"  
  
"Yes, Juu-ou-sama. He created powerful illusions to make his friends  
believe that Phibrizo was killed by L-sama in front of their eyes,  
that L-sama's chaos has swallowed Lina's soul. It was very amusing to  
watch the reactions to that. He whipped out several specific memories of  
Lina and the swordsman without them even noticing. And...," Xellos  
swallowed, his mistress wouldn't like this information very much, "he  
has an ability the previous Mei-ou-sama hadn't. He can repair broken  
soulorbs and bring the dead back to real life." "WHAT?!?!?"   
  
*** several weeks later ***  
  
The pain and agony of all the tortured souls of hell surrounded him,  
nourishing him and giving him tingles of pleasure. He leaned back on his  
chair, enjoying the emotions he consumed. At first, his change at the  
hands of L-sama had been a shock for him. It had taken a long time for  
him to come to terms with his new status. Fortunately L-sama had  
predicted this and had let him have all the time he needed. He knew  
that his change had looked like a thing of mere minutes, but for him,  
six thousand years had passed, six thousand years of living with his new  
mother, with L-sama in the Sea of Chaos. She had taught him everything  
he needed for his new existence and more important, she had been a real  
mother to him... something he hadn't known before. It had been great.  
  
His gaze wandered through the room. Who would have guessed that his  
title wasn't just a title but the simple truth. Hell existed as its  
own realm and he was the sole master of it.  
  
Abruptly he stood up. He might be the Mei-ou, but he didn't knew very  
much about his realm. It was time to correct that. Time for a little   
tour. He had more than enough time, his friends believed him on a quest  
for his "cure". A small smile hushed over his lips. As a mazoku he could  
shift his body to any shape he wanted, yet his true form would be that  
of the chimera for all his existence. But after an odd thousand years he  
had finally come to terms with it, it didn't bothered him anymore.  
  
Swiftly he walked out of his quarters, climbing down the stairs that lead  
to the realms of the damned.   
  
Zelgadis had walked through the realms of hell for several hours when he  
came to a door the color of onyx. Curious he opened it, to see who was   
held beyond it. Only the worst of the damned where held beyond that type  
of doors. Behind the door was a wasteland. Shades, memories of restless dead  
persons were scattered everywhere, their hateful eyes trained to one  
person. In the middle of the wasteland, fused to the skeleton of a tree,  
there was a man, a tall man with blue, wide opened eyes. The shades were  
whispering to him, telling him about their lifes and their deaths, how  
he was responsible for their deaths, for all the misery he saw before  
him. Zel could see the effect those stories had on the man quite clearly.  
The self-loathing and pain the man emitted was exquisite and maybe he  
could add to it even more. He teleported behind him. "Like what you see?"  
He whispered into his ear.   
  
The man made a startled noise. He tried to turn his head, to see who  
was behind him, yet it was useless. But at least he was still able to  
talk. "Who's there?" "I am." A figure, clothed completely in black,  
stepped into his field of view. The creatures skin was an almost azure shade  
of blue with darkblue splotches. His ears were long and pointed, his eyes  
had the slit pupils of the mazoku and the glowing golden bands around  
the pupils were making him uncomfortable. But the worst thing was that he  
felt like he should know this being. Yet, being in hell had taken his memories  
of the things he had actually seen in the last minutes of his life. He tried,  
but he couldn't remember. "Who are you?" "You don't recognize me?" The  
creature asked in a frightingly familiar voice. Before he hadn't been able to  
recognize it, because whispered voices all sounded the same to him, but now...   
"I am hurt, really I am. There are not that many chimeras around. I only meet  
another one and he was completely insane so I think he wouldn't come to visit   
you, grandfather."  
Grandfather, that word cut deeply into him, for it confirmed his worst  
fears... that this creature was really Zelgadis, his grandson, and his body,  
that hadn't let him recognize him for a human being, that body was his  
creation... his fault.  
  
Zelgadis smiled bitterly when he felt the shock of his grandfather, as  
he finally realized just who was coming for a small surprise visit.   
"zelgadis..." His name, only a whisper, but loud enough for him to hear.  
"Yes, it's me, grandfather. Surprised?" He took a step backwards and adopted  
a thoughtful pose. "Oh, right, I forgot. Those memories have been taken from  
you... do you want to have them back?" Zelgadis smiled, but it wasn't a  
friendly smile, but cold enough to freeze weaker souls of hell. He raised his  
hand, his fingertips emitting a soft golden light, stepped forward again and  
before Rezo had realized what was happening, those golden tipped fingers  
had touched his forehead. And then memories exploded into his brain. He  
screamed as the images assaulted his brain. The moment when his eyes had  
finally opened to see, to see out of ruby eyes before he was overwhelmed by  
the Darklord King, before his soul had been banished into a tiny little corner  
of his self. He saw again the sorceress, so small and fragile, but it had been  
her to save the world. The blond swordsman, Zelgadis' friends Rodimus and Zolf  
and Zelgadis himself. He remembered the look of utter fear and surprise on   
their faces when Zel's spell failed and then he remembered his words towards  
him. His last words as a living being. Shame washed over him. How could he...?  
  
The cloud of misery surrounding his grandfather intensified and he smiled as  
he consumed the delicious pain and despair. And he knew he could intensify   
Rezo's pain even more. But did he truly wanted to do it? He frowned. Buried  
deep inside of him, there still was the betrayed child, the one that had paid  
the highest price for trusting his grandfather. And all the child wanted to  
do have was peace, finally. Yet to be able to let go of it all, he needed   
Rezo's help, his sincere apology.  
  
But first he had to snap him out of his brood. He looked eyes with him, "Do  
you like what you see?" He waved his hand towards the vengeful dead, towards   
the wasteland surrounding them, to himself. "You should, it is your true legacy,  
your work that build this place, for it was your desire to see that started  
everything, after all. Now, rising the king of the Mazoku race is a bit drastic  
a method, don't you think? And there are a lot blind people who will never be  
able to see, yet they are happy with their lives. Not you. But well, I have to  
admit that it worked. Sure you're no longer alive and you'll stay in hell for   
all eternity, but at least you can see." Zelgadis smiled his cold, sarcastic   
smile again. "Now answer me one question, was it really worth it? I mean...,"  
he conjured a simple bench for himself and sat down, "... up to that moment,  
when you started your eye-opening-quest seriously, when you started to order  
people to kill to get to your goals, up to this moment you could have become a  
real saint. Someone who people look up to. A paragon of virtue. And you could  
have been happy, even without your sight. So was it really worth it?"   
  
"no." Rezo lowered his eyes, trying to escape the demon eyes of his grandson,   
yet he could still feel them drilling into him. Those eyes, he was afraid of   
Zelgadis' eyes. They were so inhuman, cold and without mercy. All his fault.   
His guilt to carry.   
A sigh. He looked up. Zel had closed his eyes and his pose had relaxed. "You   
regret it then? All of it? Really and truly?" His voice had changed, no longer  
cold and detached, but pleading and weary, like he was tired of the past,   
begging like a hurt child. And when he reopened his eyes, they had undergone  
the same change.  
Rezo looked at him. At his eyes. These were the eyes of the child he had   
disappointed so many times. The one he had left alone for so long and so often.  
How often had the small boy begged him to stay a little longer, not to leave   
him behind and now that he could see those eyes in the face of the adult he   
had injured and betrayed so gravely... he knew he had to speak the truth. At   
least once he had to be absolutely honest, he owed it to him. "yes."   
  
The feelings washed over him and he smiled. There was no lie in his   
grandfathers answer. And after a very long time he was finally able to let go  
of the last of the ill feelings he had still harbored in his mind.  
  
"That is good," He stood up and made the bench disappear with a wave of  
his hand. "Maybe I can do something then." "Do what?" "Oh, that's right,  
you didn't know yet." He stepped closer to the tree. The golden bands in  
his eyes glowed with power. "I," he whispered into his grandfathers ear,  
"I am the new owner of this place." He laughed out loud, when he teleported  
away, leaving behind a shocked Rezo, who tried to figure out just how  
his grandson had become the Lord of Hell.  
  
*** two months later ***  
  
Norst looked at the travelers camping in the clearing in front of him.  
Ha-ou-samas orders had been simple: kill all he had to in order to get  
to HER. Her being the small redhead sorceress that was just beating a  
blond man with a slipper. The Trickster priest, servant of Juu-ou, wasn't  
here, that was the opportunity he had hoped for. He readied himself for  
his attack when someone tapped him on his shoulder. Irritated he turned  
around. Behind him, dressed completely in black and idly balancing a  
golden marble on the back of his right hand, stood the chimera. Norst  
recalled what he had heard of him. Strong, loyal once he accepted one as  
his friend, a good fighter with sword and magic and capable of casting  
spells that could actually kill him. That wasn't so good. He had hoped  
to avoid him. But orders were orders and Ha-ou-sama wouldn't be happy if  
he came back without the fiery redhead. A strong Dynast breath should  
take care of the problem.   
  
"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." The chimera stated and tossed the  
marble in the air, just to catch it in his hand. Norst didn't paid it  
any attention. "Dynast Breath!" He flung the spell at his opponent.   
"Gouka." the chimera said and the icy tendrils were consumed by the   
raging fires of hell. Norst starred at him openmouthed. That... that was   
impossible. No mere mortal should be able to counter this spell so easily.   
And not like this... "Are you done now?" The voice was cold and annoyed.  
Other voices were coming closer. The group camping in the clearing had heard  
their fight and was coming to investigate. That wasn't good. A hand   
grabbed Norst at his shoulder in a strong and unforgiving grip. "I think  
we are going to have a little chat with Dynast now," the chimera said,  
before he teleported them away. When Lina and her friends entered the  
patch where they had heard the noise, nobody was there, but the ground  
was blackened and the earth had been melted where the hellfire had raged.  
  
***  
  
Zelgadis was really angry as he dragged the frightened general through  
Dynast's ice fortress. He hated interruptions and when the wards he had  
placed on his friends had alerted him to an intruder he had been royally  
pissed. At first he had wanted to boot that clown to hell and roast  
him, but this idiot was one of Dynast's people and Dynast was one of the  
few who was actually using his brain, so roasting Grausherra's underling  
wouldn't help him very much... even if it would have been a good way to  
release some pent up frustrations.  
  
He opened the doors to the main hall with a loud bang and all but flung  
the whimpering mazoku at Dynast's feet. Zel stood in the entrance, his  
blue and gold battle aura spiking wildly around him. His eyes were blazing  
with power and over his right hand, several golden orbs were dancing.  
He was very angry and he was showing it. With slow measured steps he  
walked towards the sitting Dynast. "Don't try such a stunt again! Not  
before Valbazard's prophecy had been fulfilled! I have worked too hard  
to keep them alive to have someone sending such a stupid little fool to  
ruin everything!" His previously hidden aura flared alive as he became  
more and more furious. The lower mazoku started to tremble as the black and  
golden aura of the Mei-ou extended out of his body. Mei-ou-sama wasn't someone  
they wanted to cross at a good day and here he was and it was obviously  
not a good day. "You are going to stop your plans regarding Lina Inverse.  
I need the entire group on the battlefield when the dark prophecy comes  
to pass. Afterwards you can try your luck with the chaos child by all means."  
His rage started to fade and he threw a quick glance towards the general,  
that was still cowering on the ground. "Oh, and teach your people how to  
use their brains, Dynast. It would be very annoying for me if I had to  
roast him because he's so unbelievable stupid." And with that he vanished.  
  
For several moments nobody moved or spoke. Then, slowly, Dynast stood up.  
His ice blue eyes were glowing with anger. "Why," he asked almost friendly,  
"why haven't I been informed about this before? How could there be a new  
Mei-ou without me knowing about it?" His voice steadily rose in volume  
and the blue ball of magic that was forming in his hand was testament  
to the fact how angry he really was. "Because we didn't know about it,  
either, Ha-ou-sama," Sherra, his first general replied. Dynast's hand  
clenched around the deadly ball of magic before he canceled it. Freezing  
his minions would be only satisfying for a moment and then he had to make  
new ones. No, what he needed right now was information. And there was  
only one way to get truthful answers. He concentrated for a moment and  
then teleported away.  
  
***  
  
He pulled his sword out of the last of the bandits. Blowing off steam  
like Lina always did was a really good way to calm down. Zelgadis grinned,  
obviously he had been around Lina too much. Now he only had to start  
beating people with bunny slippers when he was annoyed and the   
transformation would be perfect, but no, he wouldn't. That was Lina's  
very own habit, one he wasn't going to copy any time. He started to clean  
the blade of his sword on the clothes of a fallen bandit, mentally   
estimating how many of the souls of the dead would end up in his domain,  
when he felt a presence behind him. "I have expected you a bit later."  
Zel said without turning around. He cleaned the last bits of gore from  
his blade, sheathed it and turned around. Like he had expected, Dynast  
was standing there, a few feet away from him, scanning him with icy eyes.  
"You want answers." He didn't ask, he stated it as a fact. A barely   
visible nod was his only answer. With a few gestures he opened a portal  
to hell. "Follow me." And Dynast, weary but curious, stepped through the  
doorway to hell.   
  
tbc  
-----------------------  
  
I have decided to use the Japanese titles of the five Mazoku Lords  
in my fic, because I like them better than the English translations.  
  
Mei-ou : King of the Underworld, Japanese title of Hellmaster.  
Juu-ou : King of the Beasts, Xellas Metallium's Japanese title.  
Ha-ou : Supreme King, Japanese title of Dynast Grausherra.  
Kai-ou : Ocean King, Deep Sea Dolphin's Japanese title.  
Maryu-ou : Demon Dragon King, Japanese title of Chaos Dragon Gaav.  
  
Karyu-ou : Fire Dragon King, one of the four Dragon Gods  
  
Valbazard : name of the Fire Dragon King  
  
Rezos last words as a living human, before overwhelmed by Shabranighdo: after   
the failed Ra-tilt he told Zelgadis that he (Zel) was a hideous creature and  
that he (Rezo) would put him out of his misery by killing him.  
This is according to the Mangas, not the anime, but I found it fitting.  
  
Norst : second General of Dynast Grausherra  
  
Gouka : Japanese for hellfire  



	2. Life isn't easy... even for the Ha-ou-sa...

All Disclaimers can be found in part 1  
  
Title: Golden Spheres and Silver Snow  
Author: Simone of the Zordiak  
Part: 2/?  
E-mail: burning_night@hotmail.com  
  
"Welcome to hell," the voice of the Mei-ou said with a touch of amusement.  
Dynast looked at him, startled by this revelation. Never before the Mei-ou   
had allowed another Mazoku Lord to enter his domain. Hell, the place of  
fearful stories, even among the mazoku. A small akki was running towards  
them. "Mei-ou-sama, Mei-ou-sama. SHE is here." The Mei-ou stiffened. "I  
see. When did she get here?" "Right after you left, Mei-ou-sama. She awaits  
you in the library." "Then we better don't let her wait any longer. I don't  
want her redecorating like last time." A shudder ran through the frame of  
the Mei-ou and he couldn't help but wonder who it was, and how she had  
redecorated hell. Silently he followed the Mei-ou, until they came to a  
set of craved black obsidian doors. The doors swung open before them and  
they entered a library like Dynast had never seen before. The entire room  
was illuminated by silvery candles with ice flames and the books seemed  
to be alive. Newer books were in the process of writing themselves and   
the older books were giving them tips. In the middle of the room, there  
was a pond with water, clear as the finest crystal. Next to the pond   
there stood a woman. A woman with long blond hair. In her right hand she  
casually twirled a shovel.  
  
"You are late." she stated. "I'm sorry, mother, but the wards around  
Lina's group were activated and I had to clear up a few things." A sardonic  
smile played around her lips. "That's a nice way of putting it, child.  
Ok, but that's not why I'm here....," She straightened and went to   
business, "The soul of the Maryu-ou is in your realm and it is time  
that he is released to be reborn. There have to be five Chaos Lords   
again." "As you wish, mom." The Mei-ou said and vanished, leaving Dynast  
alone with the still smirking L-sama.   
  
She stepped closer to him, making him uncomfortable with her nearness.   
"He respects you." "Huh?" L-sama laughed softly. One of the brightest   
people of this world, in her presence, he was reduced to a simple 'Huh'.  
He would need some time to get over the shock of actually seeing her.   
Well, Zel should help with that process.  
"You are the first one he invited to hell. You sent out your people to  
kill Lina Inverse's friends and yet you still have a home and your people  
are still alive. He must really respect you, because he went out, ready  
to douse everybody in his way in the eternal flames of hell.... I should  
reward him for displaying so much control." She mused, seemingly not   
noticing his discomfort with that topic. Gladly he didn't have to seek  
for an answer, because the Mei-ou returned, in his arms a baby with familiar  
red hair. Gently the Mei-ou lowered the soul of Maryu-ou Gaav into the   
pond. L-Sama stretched out her hand and golden light filled the pool before  
the water shoot upwards. In the middle of the pillar of crystallized water  
floated the soul of the Chaos dragon, sleeping and looking as angelic as   
only babies look.  
  
The Mei-ou smiled. "In a year he will be reborn, this time without the  
taint of a human soul. Satisfied mom?" "Very, child. Now, to help you  
with your little problem with the chaos child and her group..," in the  
mind of both mazoku alarm bells started to wail rather loudly, but their  
fearful expressions didn't change L-sama's mind, it only made her grin  
rather impishly, ".. since it were Dynast's people starting the mess, it  
seems only fair to me that Dynast is going to help you from now." "Mom!"  
The Mei-ou protested. "In three months you two are going to join the party.  
Zelgadis, you better prepare him for his role. See you next century."   
And with that, she dissolved into golden light and was gone before either  
of the men could protest.  
"Oh great," the Mei-ou, Zelgadis, groaned. Dynast stayed silent for the  
moment, but in his thoughts he agreed with the statement.  
  
***  
  
In the sea of chaos, L-sama let herself fall heavily on her bed. That  
had went rather well. In a year, when the ancient dragon Val would hatch  
for the second time, Maryu Gaav would be reborn. He would be a good foster  
father for the little Val, like the golden dragon Filia would be his  
foster mother and the chosen mate of Gaav. A mazoku lord and a ryuzoku  
priestess, chaos and order at the same time, they would work well for her.  
And for her son, she chuckled, he and Dynast were going to make a cute  
couple.  
  
***  
  
Zelgadis sat down, sighing heavily. He hated it when she played such  
tricks with him. And this time she had pulled another one in her games.  
He cast a short look at the fellow mazoku lord, his mind already working  
at the question how to integrate him into the group. Zel could see the  
moment Dynast realized all the consequences of L-samas order. Dynast  
couldn't suppress a groan as he sank down into another chair.  
There was nothing that could be done to get out of ignoring her order  
unscratched and neither of them wanted her breathing down her necks. He  
didn't need to tell Dynast about this, he knew this all right. But he could  
give him some of the answers he sought.  
  
***  
  
Dynast leaned back in his chair. Mei-ou, Zelgadis, had given him answers  
to a lot of questions. Now that he knew, what happened to the previous  
Mei-ou, he was more reluctant to go against L-samas wishes. He had no  
desire to be completely destroyed, to be dissolved into his astral  
components and to be reabsorbed into the astral plane. It must be the most  
horrible thing to be unmade, to have his own soul undone. It wasn't  
something he wanted to experience on his own. And the only way to prevent  
it, was to obey her. So he would help... he shuddered mentally.. Lina  
Inverse. It was so absurd. He was a mazoku lord, he had been plotting her  
downfall and now he was roped into helping her! And masquerading as a  
human! He felt like his mind was running in circles and tried to return  
to his normal logical calm. Not an easy thing to do after hearing of the  
destruction of the strongest of the five Chaos lords, yet he needed to  
stay rational when he wanted to fulfill HER wishes. "Come," the voice  
of the Mei-ou roused him out of his thoughts. He let Zelgadis lead him  
to a place that was blissfully cold and filled with mortal agony and  
suffering. Wonderful. "What is this?" "It is Niflheim, the ice hell.  
Seventh of the nine outer rings of hell. I come here when I need a quiet  
place to think." Dynast looked around, noticing for the first time the  
human souls that were caught in huge blocks of ice, forever suffering,  
yet unable to do anything, not even able to scream out their pain. "I  
like it."   
  
Zelgadis sat down on one of the blocks, his face a study of concentration.  
It was time to work on the real problem. "We need a good story for you,  
why you want to become a part of this group. And a good disguise, something,  
that fits your personality." He mused out loud.   
  
***  
  
He looked into the mirror, trying to get used to his new form. His body  
was taller, he measured almost seven feet now and his hair, which was  
of a silvery white shade, went down to his hips. Almond shaped eyes and ears   
curved up into points were showing that he wasn't completely human, but a  
elf/human mix. The face in the mirror was different from his own, leaner  
and his features were sharper. This face was not his, except for his eyes.  
They were still of the same ice blue shade than before, just the pupils  
were round now, not slitted. It was a strange being, that looked at him  
from the depths of the mirror. But it was perfect. Perfectly fitting his  
personality. At least that was what Sophia, headbook of the Library of the  
Dead had said, before she had returned to supervising the other books.  
"It looks good," Zelgadis stated from behind him. "Here, Sophia made this  
for you." He handed him a book. It wasn't alive like those in the Library,  
it was a dead book and it looked old and worn, but that was an illusion,  
the book couldn't be older than four to five hours. And it contained   
ice spells. Everything from simple combat spells to high level destruction   
spells. Spells that had been forgotten by humans since long before the   
Kouma war. The book was priceless, at least by human standards.  
Dynast leafed through the pages, memorizing the spells with ease. He knew  
why Zelgadis had given him that book. When they entered the group of  
mortal adventures, neither he nor the Mei-ou would be able to use their  
mazoku powers, not without exposing themselves to the golden dragonmaiden.  
Both of them were comfortable with their sword abilities and Zelgadis would  
use shamanistic magic. He himself hadn't picked a special field until now,  
but ice magic, something so close to his natural habitat, was the best idea.  
  
*** three month later in the forest near Oran ***  
  
Lina couldn't believe her eyes. There, camping in a clearing a few steps   
ahead of her, was Zelgadis. That was nothing so unbelievable, but he was in  
a serious conversation with an... an elf!? But elves were secluded beings,  
they didn't go near to the cities of humans! And the port city of Oran was  
only a days journey from here. She cast a second look towards the unknown  
elf when Zelgadis noticed her. He said something to his companion and both  
turned towards her. "Hello Lina." Zel said casually, as if her meeting him  
was something that happened on regular occasion. Before she could ask him  
about his travel companion or even return the greeting, they were   
interrupted by a loud "Mr. Zelgadis!" and Zelgadis could only sigh before he  
was glomped by an overjoyed Amelia. Since Zel wouldn't be able to answer her  
questions, until he had pried Amelia from his arm, Lina turned to his new  
companion. The sharp eyes of the elf were making her a bit uncomfortable,  
it felt like she was examined and analyzed by them. The elf gave her a  
polite nod. "Mashiro Kitayori." He said shortly, introducing himself.  
"Lina Inverse." Mashiro tilted his head a little. "I have heard about  
you," he stated simply, "but from the stories I heard I imagined you to  
be taller." "Not everybody can be as tall as an elf," she snorted. His  
face grew hard. "Don't mention them." "Who," now she was confused, "elves?"  
Mashiro's face grew even colder. Thankfully Zel choose this moment to  
explain some particularities of his companion. "Shiro's mother was human.  
His parents were killed by his fathers tribe." Mashiro turned away from them  
and his body language was screaming loudly not to interfere with him now.  
  
Unfortunately Xellos decided to make the unknown elf his next target.   
No warnings could stop him from teasing Mashiro about his looks, companions  
and then about his heritage. Mashiro/Dynast looked at the Trickster  
through half-closed eyes. His disguise was obviously working well, Xellos  
wouldn't have dared to insult him like that if he had known who he really   
was. But it was time for a visible reaction towards the servant of Juu-ou.  
He knew he was emitting enough anger and hate to feed an entire mazoku army,  
but that didn't seem to be enough. Even if his family history was fictive,  
nobody could insult him and get away with it. His body started to glow   
silver-white, his chosen battle aura. He would teach the Trickster a lesson.  
Quietly he started the chant.  
  
"Storms of the North, cold force of destruction..."  
  
Zelgadis' sensitive ears picked up the spell and he paled. Obviously Dynast  
had had it with Xellos' teasing. "We need to get out of here." "Why?"   
Wordless he pointed at Mashiro, who was standing in the eye of a raging   
winter storm.   
  
"..I call upon thee...."  
  
Xellos frowned as he tried to place that particular spell.  
  
"..let me be the instrument of your wrath, and cut through our foes..."  
  
Zelgadis had herded the group together and they were seeking cover.  
  
".. in the unforgivable..."   
  
Lina's eyes widened as she watched the halfelf. He was standing in a sphere  
of ice blue energy, countless snowflakes, each as big as a palm and with  
razor-sharp edges dancing around him.  
  
Mashiro pointed at Xellos.  
  
"BLIZZARD RAGE!"  
  
A beam of ice energy shot towards Xellos. The snowflakes were twirling  
around the beam, cutting down everything standing in their path.  
  
There was a blinding white light when the beam hit the surprised mazoku  
and when the group was able to see again, they saw Xellos standing, a  
hole of the size of a fist in his chest, blinking in astonishment. The  
forest around and behind the Trickster was leveled and covered knee-deep  
with snow. "Ouwie," Xellos said cheerfully, before sitting down rather  
abruptly. Mashiro stalked towards him, grabbed him by his cape, pulled him  
upwards until he was eye to eye with him and glared. "Nobody insults my  
family! Understood?" There were moments when the Trickster knew it was  
better to stay quiet. This was one of them. He nodded silently. The spell  
the halfelf had used had caused damage and it would take some time for it to  
heal. He wouldn't push his luck with the strange new addition of the group.  
The spell had been a combination of astral and physical energy and if the  
elf had more than one of this unknown spells at hand, he could really become  
a threat to his life. How had the elf known this spell anyway? He hadn't  
been able to identify it.  
  
"What was that?" Lina asked, staring at the destruction the spell had left  
in his wake. "That," Zelgadis said, dusting a fine sheen of snow from his  
clothes, "was the Blizzard Rage, one of Mashiro's strongest spells. The  
powerlevel is equal to that of the Dragon Slave." Lina's mind started to  
work overtime. A spell, as powerful as the Dragon Slave and she had never  
heard of it? She had to have it! This one and any other spell Mashiro might  
know. Only if she could cast most of the destructive spells she would be  
satisfied and such unknown and impressive magic as Mashiro had just cast  
would do wonders for her reputation. She turned towards the halfelf, who  
was slowly closing up to the group. But Amelia was faster. "Mr. Mashiro,  
what was that for a type of magic? I didn't recognize it. And don't you  
think that it is terribly unjust to destroy the forest like that?"   
"Ice magic." The halfelf answered simply, ignoring the princess' second  
question completely.  
  
Lina rolled her eyes. Zelgadis had managed to find somebody who was even  
less talkative than himself, a feature she'd never believed possible, but  
she would get him to talk... she would get to know everything she could  
about this 'ice magic'. "Say Mashiro," she started, "is this the strongest  
spell of this ice magic?" "No," he muttered, "there is the 'Ymnir Blaze',  
but I don't use it." "Why not?" "Because if I miscast it, it will temporary  
freeze the Sea of Chaos." Lina gulped. A spell, powerful enough to freeze   
L-sama's domain, that could be really dangerous! Dynast smirked inwardly as he  
watched her reaction, remembering his own:  
  
  
  
He had just read the last and most powerful spell in the book and looked  
up astonished. "This spell can freeze the Sea of Chaos!?" There weren't  
many spells that could affect L-sama's chosen domain and he wondered  
about the effects it would have. "I wouldn't try to do it on purpose,"  
the voice of Zelgadis sounded more amused than worried. Dynast turned   
around to him. "What would happen if I try it?" Zel smirked. "Mom told me  
that you once froze the Demon Sea because you were annoyed at Deep Sea.  
What did she do?" Dynast grimaced at the memory. "She whacked me with her  
fishing pole, fried me and then flooded my old fortress, killing most of  
my servants in the process." "Well think of that and then try to imagine  
it two times bigger. Mom can get seriously pissed if someone tries to  
mess up her domain." Dynast swallowed and made a mental note not to use  
that spell unless he had to and switched the topic. "Say, why do you   
always call HER mother or mom?" "Well, in a way she is my mother. When she  
turned me into a Mazoku, she infused me with her essence. Then she sort of  
adopted me, while I was living with her." Zel shrugged. "I never had a  
mother before and it was her first attempt at being a mother to a child, not  
a world. It worked really well. And I call her mom, because if I call her  
L-sama...," a golden glowing shovel appeared over his head and whacked him,  
"OW! she whacks me with her shovel. I'm only allowed to call her at her title  
in public." Zel finished, rubbing his head. And that had been the end of  
that particular conversation.  
  
  
  
"I've never heard of ice magic before. Where did you learn this spells?"  
"From a book," was Mashiro's rather short and unsatisfying answer. Lina  
took a deep breath, trying to calm down before she dragon slaved his butt  
to Seyruun. "And where did you find this book?" For a small moment he was  
tempted to tell her the truth. It would be really funny to tell her that  
the Library of the Dead held an exemplar of each book ever written... and  
that those books were truly alive. If he estimated her correctly, she would  
try and break into hell to get to these books. But that thought vanished  
as quick as he had been born. "It is a family heirloom. And no, it is not  
for sale." Darn, obviously Zel had warned his new companion about some of   
her particularities. Lina sighed. What was it with her companions and their  
families? With powerful heirlooms that would be better of in her hands?  
"Can I at least have a look at it?" She begged shamelessly, much to Dynast's  
amusement. He pulled the book out of his pack and opened it. Lina squinted  
at the strange symbols. "What is that? Why can't I read it?" "It is Talvi,  
an old dialect of the elves of the North. I'm one of the last people that   
can read it." Mashiro/Dynast watched her, as she realized that she couldn't  
simply steal the book from him, that she had to learn the language the book  
was written in first and that without Mashiro's consent to teach her this   
book would be useless to her. Her anger was quite delicious... no wonder  
that the Beastpriest liked to travel with her. This, he decided, this could  
be very amusing.  
  
tbc  
-----------------------  
  
akki : devil  
  
Niflheim : Iceland, part of hell, in Nordic mythology  
  
Sophia : means wisdom, a fitting name for a book  
  
Mashiro : Pure white  
  
Shiro : white  
  
Kitayori : from the North  
  
Ymnir : Ice giant of Nordic mythology, first giant and father of the  
race of giants, father of the gods Odin and Bran, The Nordic   
mythology says that the gods killed Ymnir to use his body to  
create the world.  
  
Talvi is the Finnish word for winter  
  
The Blizzard Rage spell and the concept of Ice magic are my own invention.  
Ice magic, like several spells of Shamanistic Spirit magic, attacks a   
target on both the physical and the astral plane in a combined attack.  
For example: the energy beam of the Blizzard Rage attacks only the astral  
side of the target, similar to a Ra Tilt, but the snowflakes around the  
beam attack the physical side by cutting through anything in their way,  
making the spell as property damaging as the Dragon Slave.  



	3. Chess, Love and Discoveries

All Disclaimers can be found in part 1  
  
Title: Golden Spheres and Silver Snow  
Author: Simone of the Zordiak  
Part: 3/?  
E-mail: burning_night@hotmail.com  
  
"Checkmate." Dynast frowned at the chessboard in front of him, but it was  
useless, he had walked into a trap he hadn't seen before. With a small  
ironic smile he toppled his king, then he looked up and blinked a little  
in surprise. He didn't know how long they had played, but to see that the   
moon had already risen, when they had started this particular game in the  
early afternoon, was a bit disconnecting. But still it had been fun. He  
loved to play chess, war symbolized in the figures and moves. Of course  
he needed a good adversary to enjoy a game and among Lina's little group  
he had found several types of chess players.   
  
Xellos of course was a cheater, always trying to distract him while resetting  
the board in his favor... a move that never worked with him, but still the  
Trickster tried it every time. Amelia was enthusiastic, but not a very good   
player, he beat her everytime she asked him to play and she always made the  
same mistakes. Gourry, to his surprise, was a very good player, strong and  
good enough to beat him from time to time. Maybe he should have expected this,  
the man was a merc and one of the best, it was only logical, that he exelled   
at a battle game. Lina herself was a chaotic player, never following a real   
strategy and sometimes she came close to fireballing him and the chessboard   
when she lost. Filia, like Amelia, was not a very concentrated player, but  
unlike Amelia, she did learn from her mistakes and slowly got better.   
Zelgadis, his style was unique. He never played after the same methods twice  
and he always managed to surprise him with his moves.  
  
He leaned back in his chair, concentrating on the board. The trap had been  
a work of art, he had to admit, worthy of any general's brain and so sneaky  
that he hadn't suspected anything... until it had been too late. He rubbed  
the bridge of his nose. It had been a good game. Someone placed a cup of  
tea next to him. He looked up to find the dragonmaiden smiling shyly at him.  
He murmured his thanks and Filia blushed and left the room quickly.  
  
"Looks like someone has a little crush at you," Zelgadis smiled his half-smile  
as he rearranged the figures for a new game. "It seems so." He replied  
shortly, yet he did nothing to hide his answering smile. It was irony at  
its best, a mazoku-hating golden dragon, having a crush at a Mazoku Lord.  
Sure, she didn't know what and who he really was, but still... He took the  
cup and started to sip. The hot liquid burned his tongue, sorching his  
tastebuds and then his throat. It was good. So hot. The sharp note of his  
own pain adding to the barely noticed taste of the tea in a refreshing and  
pleasurable way. He sighed as the pain subsided, leaving him with tingling  
aftershocks of pleasure.   
  
The smell of blood stirred his mind, and when he looked up, he found that  
Zelgadis had almost bitten through his lip. Obviously he had projected his  
emotions quite loudly and now Zelgadis was trying to regain control over  
himself. Hmmm.... Dynast let his eyes wander over his chesspartner, scanning  
him, not as a fellow mazoku, but as a possible lover. He would be lying if  
he said that he wasn't attracted to him. The Mei-ou was a real attractive  
creature, beautiful, strong and intelligent. What could one want more?  
Yet, he didn't dare to make his move now, the time wasn't right and there  
was the matter of L-Sama watching over her adopted "son". He swallowed, as  
her watched him licking the blood from his lips, looked down and then up  
again just in time to see the sly grin. That sneak! He was doing it on   
purpose! Wait! If he did it on purpose, didn't that mean.... A secretive  
smile hushed over his lips as he readied his pawns for battle. This time  
he would win.  
  
From a corner of the room, Xellos watched the chessplayers, his usual smile  
nowhere in sight. Shortly after the two had started their new game, Mashiro  
had slipped out of his shoes and was now playing footsie with Zelgadis. And  
Zelgadis was replying the favor. That wasn't good, that was absolutely not  
good at all. If the Mei-ou was interested in the halfelf, then he couldn't  
recruit him into Xellas-sama's ranks. His frown deepened. Mashiro was   
perfect to become a strong mazoku and he was really nice to look at. He  
wouldn't mind sharing a bed with him once or twice, but with him playing  
footsie with the Lord of the Dead, he could forget all his carefully crafted  
plans to win him over. No, no he wouldn't give up. He could use the fact  
that the halfelf had no idea, who Zel really was. Wouldn't it crush Mashiro,  
to hear that his loveinterest had lied to him? That he had kept his real  
identity a secret? It would. And when he was at his lowest, he would come  
and offer him a way to get even, a way to get revenge.  
  
***  
  
Lina stood at the railing, watching over the seemingly endless expanse of  
water. She was bored. Bored, bored, bored, really bored. She punched the  
railing, then flopped down and groaned. There had to be something she could  
do, but noo, there were no sea serpents, not even gay ones, no pirates,  
no monster, not even a single bandit. She groaned again. That wasn't   
happening! She was bored out of her skull, she, Lina Inverse! "What's wrong?"  
A voice next to her asked, startling her badly. With a squeak she jumped  
to her feet and without much thought she hit the person that had startled  
her. "Oww!" Not a smart move when said person was Zel, she winced as she  
massaged her hand. "And what was that for?" "For sneaking up on me." She  
replied angrily. "I didn't sneak up on you, Lina, and you know that." He  
stated flatly while pulling out his astrolabe from somewhere under his   
cloak. She waited, watching him handling the nautic instrument, already   
knowing that it would be useless to talk to him until he was finished.  
  
"So, care to tell me what is wrong now, Lina?" She sighed. "I'm bored. There  
is nothing to do and only Ceipheid knows when this ship will reach the new  
world." He couldn't hide a smile as he watched her pummel the poor railing  
with her fists. "And just WHAT are you smiling at?" She glared at him and  
he knew he was very close to being fireballed. Maybe he should let her  
fireball him, a bit of pain would be nice and she would release some of  
her pent up anger. Better than roasting the crew anyway. "You." He replied.  
"You look kind of cute like that." "Cute?!?!" He grinned as he felt her  
anger bubbling to the surface. One last nudge and it would explode at him.  
"Yeah, like a three year old who didn't have things running her way."  
"Ahhhrrrggg!!!" She screamed. "Fireball!" Just as he had expected it, she  
threw the ball of magic at him. The damage was none-existent, but the pain  
was delicious. For her sake he mimicked the irritated spell-victim, grumbling  
under his breath as he dusted the soot from his clothes. He glanced at  
her out of the corner of his eyes. She was ranting about guys who couldn't  
appreciate the true beauty of women. He rolled his eyes and went back under  
deck. He had done his part, now the ship would be save from fireballs  
for a few days more, but he didn't have to stay and listen to her rant.  
  
***  
  
The new world was a puzzling place. Barely no magic, but science has  
advanced beyond the knowledge of the old world. Cannons and pistols, two  
non-magic long distant weapons, deadlier than any bolt or arrow, yet nothing  
in comparison to attack spells. When Lina helped the citizens of the   
port-town of Grubmah against a brunch of pirates by blowing them into orbit  
via her Dragon Slave, the people looked at them almost like gods! Well, if  
he was honest, if the people of the old world knew who he really was, they  
would probably behave the same way. Zelgadis interrupted his musings. Musings  
were useless and wouldn't help him reaching his goal. Why did Valbazard have  
to speak in riddles? He wanted to get over with this prophecy and return to  
his home. Staying away from hell for so long was making him uncomfortable.  
So much could happen in his absence. So many things that could go wrong.  
"Hey Zel," Lina smiled quite self satisfied, "We've found a nice inn for  
tonight." She waved at one of the buildings at the plaza. He turned around  
and looked at it. 'All you can eat for one silver' the sign said. He should  
have known it.  
  
***  
  
Amelia had went and gotten the last three rooms for them. Two of them were  
single rooms, the last one was a double room. The girls would share the double  
room, while Gourry would share a room with Xellos and he would share his room  
with Dynast. He barely hid a smile at that arrangement. During the last weeks  
he and Dynast had slowly gotten closer, but they were always interrupted by  
one of their group in the worst possible moments. But tonight they would be  
alone, sharing a room. Perfect.  
  
***  
  
He smiled as he watched him barricade the door. Both of them wanted tonight  
to be perfect and the thought of any of them bawling into their room wasn't  
part of their plan. True, they wouldn't stay in this room tonight, but anyone  
entering the room would know that they weren't there and that could raise some  
unwanted questions. He frowned a little as he watched Zel seal the door with  
a personalized lock-spell. That would keep the mortals and the dragon out of  
their room, but not the servant of Juu-ou. He concentrated and with a small  
gesture he raised a barrier around their room, a barrier that only another dark  
lord or somebody stronger could break. "Good idea," Zel said as he noticed what  
Dynast had done, "But how do we explain it to the others, when they notice  
the barrier?" Dynast thought about it for a moment, then summoned his magic.  
In his hand, a beautiful moonstone pendant appeared. "I placed the spell into  
the moonstone. When you touch it like this," he demonstrated, "the spell is  
deactivated and touched like this, the barrier is raised again. You can say  
them it is a present from me." Zelgadis embraced his lover and gave him a soft  
kiss. Dynast shimmered in his real form, to be closer to him. "So," Zelgadis  
panted as they broke the kiss, "there is only one thing left to ask."   
"Hmmm...?" "Your place or mine?" Zel managed to say with a straight face.  
Dynast chuckled. "I think we should go to my place this time. I already  
have been to your place and the aurora borealis is quite beautiful this time  
of the year." He nuzzled into Zelgadis neck. "Then let's go," Zel whispered  
and they phased away.  
  
***  
  
The breakfast the next morning went like many similar breakfasts before,  
Lina, Gourry and Amelia stuffing their faces, Xellos annoying Filia. Only  
Zel and Mashiro where nowhere to be seen. "Hey, has anybody seen Zel or  
Shiro?" Lina asked, after she had finished of her meal. Gourry shrugged his  
head no and all the others hasn't seen them either. They waited another thirty  
minutes then Lina growled and stood up. "That's it. I'm going to pull their  
lazy asses out of the inn and then...," she cracked her knuckles, "I dragon  
slave them into the next century." She stormed out of the restaurant, up the  
stairs and started to hammer at the door of Zel's and Mashiro's room. No one  
answered. "Wake up you lazy bums!" She tried to rip open the door, but the  
door wouldn't give. "Open the door!!" Her voice grew louder and louder as she  
hit the door again and again.  
  
"Miss Lina?" asked a hesitant voice. She turned around and saw the others   
standing there, looking at her worriedly. "I can't open the damn door!" She  
almost shouted. "There is a strong locking spell that I can't break!" "Let  
me try." Xellos said, happily that he had found a good reason to phase in  
their room, a good reason to see Mashiro in a state of undress. He phased  
out, only to reappear again, angry and confused. "I can phase in there.  
Something very strong is blocking me and I can't break the spell." They looked  
at him in disbelieve. "You can't break the spell? But who could cast a spell  
like this?" "Someone stronger than me," he replied annoyed. The Mei-ou, he  
thought angrily, only that the spell-signature didn't feel like one of Mei-ou's  
spells.   
  
"I can't believe it!" Lina shouted furious. They others, wisely, stayed  
silent. In the silence sounded the noise of a key, turned in its lock. The door  
to the room opened slowly. "Who's making all that racket out there?" A really  
annoyed Zel asked. The others gawked, stunned into silence, looking at Zelgadis  
and his state of dress.. or rather undress, for he was only wearing his briefs,  
a chain with a moonstone pendant around his neck and nothing else. Lina stared  
at him, wide-eyed. Who would have guessed that he had hidden *that* body under  
all his clothes? She was trying really hard not to drool at the sight of him.  
Behind her, she heard a gasp for air from Filia and a soft noise, as Amelia  
fainted. The sight had been to much for the lovestuck princess.   
"Well," Zel looked at them, impatient, "is anybody going to answer me?" Lina   
opened her mouth to tell him a piece of her mind, when the next shocking thing   
happened. Mashiro appeared, similar dressed/undressed as Zelgadis, wrapping his  
arms around the chimera and started nuzzling his ear. "Ulp." Lina swallowed.  
She had seen a lot during her travels, had learned to expect the unexpected at   
any time, but never in a million years she had expected this! Zel was leaning   
against Mashiro now, who's hands were busily mapping his chest. Oh God it   
looked like... looked like they were going to do *it* here and now! There was   
only one thing she could do now. "Aqua create!" Viola, instant drenched Zel and  
Shiro. True, they looked a bit angry right now, but at least they now wouldn't   
make a spectacle out of themselves.  
"Lina! What do you think you are doing?" Zel's voice was close to screaming.  
"Stopping you from giving us a free show, that's what I'm doing," she replied  
dryly. "Oh." Zel blushed as he seemingly realized only now, what kind of   
picture he and Mashiro presented to their friends. "Maybe we should get  
dressed," Mashiro suggested, "It looks like we're making them uncomfortable."  
Zelgadis nodded and then simply closed the door.  
  
Shortly afterwards a thankfully clothed Zelgadis sat next to an equally as  
clothed Mashiro, drinking tea. The others, sharing their table, were trying  
their hardest not to stare to openly at them. Finally Lina took the initiative.  
"So," she said as Mashiro drained the last of his tea, "are you two lovebirds  
up for some questions?" "As long as they are not too personal, ask." Mashiro  
replied. Lina blushed rather violently. Xellos, of course, was the first to  
ask a question. A rather unusual question for the Trickster. "Who cast the  
barrier around your room last night?" It was something that irked Xellos  
rather greatly. It hadn't been the Mei-ou-sama, for he knew Zelgadis'  
spell-signature quite well and the barrier hadn't emitted this signature. So  
who had cast it? Zelgadis smirked. For a moment he was tempted to answer with  
Xellos oh-so-loved phrase about it being a secret, but he knew that Lina   
wouldn't let him get away with it. So he pulled out the moonstone pendant from  
under his tunic. Like a snake, Lina pulled it out of his hands to examine it,   
before he could even start to explain its use and origin.  
  
'Uh oh,' Dynast thought, as she turned it around. He had forgotten about that  
little detail: on the underside, engraved into the gem, was his sigil, the  
sign of the Ha-ou. Lina gasped when she saw the sigil and she wasn't the only  
one. Except for Gourry, who was blissfully clueless, all of them recognized  
the sigil. "Zel, where did you get this?" "Why? Where do you think I get it?"   
Zel shot back, his mind racing to construct a good story. "Because that is the  
personal sign of the Ha-ou, that's why!" He leaned back with a slight smile,  
having decided that it would be easier to stay close to the truth. "You just  
answered your own question." Lina shut her mouth abruptly, then she exploded.  
"WHAT?!?!" "You don't need to scream that loud," Zelgadis murmured as he tried  
to revive his suddenly deafened ears. Lina grabbed him at his collar. "Why  
didn't you tell us that you've met with Dynast Grausherra? How long are you  
keeping secrets from us? Do you even know how rare it is, that someone has  
even heard from him?! He's the strongest of the remaining Mazoku Lords and you  
just happen to meet him! What happened, did you have tea and cookies?"   
Dynast leaned back in his chair, watching with a mental smirk as his fellow  
Mazoku Lord and strongest of the five generals of Shabranighdo was shaken and   
berated by the tiny sorceress like a unruly child. If only she knew.  
"Care to let me tell the story?" Zel managed to get out. She dropped him rather  
abruptly. "Ok. Tell!"  
  
"After I split from the group last time, I went north, towards the land of  
eternal ice. I had been on my own for two months, when I had a little run-in  
with Norst." "Who's Norst?" Gourry asked confused. "Norst is the second  
general," - 'Ex-General' Dynast corrected mentally, - "of Dynast," Lina beat  
the knowledge into Gourrys skull, the hard way, with a bunny slipper.  
"Anyway," Zel continued, "Norst attacked me and I beat him up. That seemed to  
wake Dynast's interests." - 'That and the lecture you gave me afterwards' -  
"I met him after I had just finished off a bandit hideout. We had a nice  
long chat." "A chat?" "Yeah, you think that just because Gaav tried to kill us   
on sight and Phibrizo tried to destroy the world, that all mazoku are like   
this?" He pointed at Xellos. "How long did we travel with him before we found  
out that he is a mazoku? And during that time he was a pest but didn't try  
to kill us. The Ha-ou-sama is highly intelligent," - 'You flatter me' - "he's  
lived for quite along time and he plays very good chess...." "Wait a minute!  
You.played.CHESS.with.Dynast.Grausherra?!?" - 'Actually, you all did' Dynast  
thought, 'but except Zelgadis, only Gourry is a worth player' -  
  
Lina was breathing very very hard. She couldn't believe it. Zelgadis Greywers,  
chimera swordsman and shaman, playing chess with a dangerous Mazoku Lord?! And   
the way he spoke about the Ha-ou... it sounded a lot like... "You befriended a   
Mazoku Lord? Soulless Dynast??" 'Soulless? Where did that come from?' Dynast   
was a bit miffed. True, he was logical and appeared cold to those that didn't   
knew him better, but he wasn't soulless. Zelgadis had the orb to prove it.   
"He's not soulless," Zel protested, "Mazokus have souls too and if he is   
soulless, then I should be called soulless as well. Remember the first times we  
met?" Lina nodded. Zelgadis had been very cold during those times, repressing  
his emotions mostly and acting cold and logical. "And I don't know if friend is  
the right word," Zelgadis continued. 'I think lover is more fitting,' Dynast  
thought and smiled, remembering the last night fondly.  
  
Xellos followed the conversation silently. He was worried. The Mei-ou had   
befriended Dynast, something Xellas-sama hadn't been able to do in thousand  
years. That was bad, really bad. Zelgadis alone was a force to reckon with, but  
Zelgadis in an alliance with Dynast.... those two would be unstoppable! He had  
to tell Juu-ou-sama. Xellos swallowed. She wouldn't take the news very well  
and probably take it out on his hide. He whimpered soundlessly. The last time   
she had been pissed like that, she had forced him to be a shadow-wolf for   
hundred years. Substanceless... almost completely powerless. Not something he   
wanted to repeat, but she needed to know about this. Fearing for the worst,  
Xellos phased out to meet his master.  
  
  
tbc  
-----------------------  
  
Grubmah : Umm I needed a name for a port-town, so I took my the name of my  
hometown and reversed it. (Hamburg rules !!)  
  
Aurora borealis : also known as northern lights or polar lights  



	4. Battles fought, Secrets unveiled

All Disclaimers can be found in part 1  
  
Title: Golden Spheres and Silver Snow  
Author: Simone of the Zordiak  
Part: 4/?  
E-mail: burning_night@hotmail.com  
  
Everything was coming together, rapidly. Valgaav had managed to steal the   
Gorun Nova and now, on the battlefield of Shabranighdo and Ceipheid they  
witnessed the completely insane Dark Star entering their world. Dynast couldn't  
suppress a shiver as he felt him... no, it... for the first time. It wasn't  
evil, not good, but something so messed up, so terribly WRONG that he wanted  
to turn around and vomit. He felt soiled by its presence. His fingers clenched  
in fists as he had to forcibly suppress the urge to let go of his disguise.  
L-Sama had said they had to stay in disguise until after the battle, so there  
had to be another way to beat this thing. He heard the roar of triumph from  
Valgaav as Dark Star merged with him. They needed an idea and they needed it  
fast.  
Dark Star. It had absorbed the Dragon God of its world, so holy magic alone  
wouldn't work, neither would mazoku power. They needed a combination of both,  
but where to channel those massive energy through? He couldn't do it, holy  
magic would affect him, as it would Zelgadis and Xellos. Filia would be   
affected likewise by mazoku magic. That left only the humans and from them  
only Lina would even have a chance. He called out to the others and told them  
his idea. They agreed that it would be their best choice, but it would take  
some time to prepare. Time they might not have. Dynast looked at the looming  
figure and made a decision. "I'll buy us this time." He ignored the questioning  
cries of the group as he walked towards Dark Star. Under his voice, he started  
to chant a spell he had hoped never to use.   
  
"In your world of ice, under frozen sky, great Ymnir hear my battlecry."  
  
Fleeting bands of energy touched his being, energy so cold that even he was   
freezing.  
  
"I open my vessels to your coldness, my lungs to your chilling breath"  
  
He shivered as the being called Ymnir touched his self, but continued.  
  
"I open my soul to your eternal frost, my mind to you cold unending wrath."  
  
In his minds eye, he saw Ymnir, the Ice Giant. For a moment that seemed  
eternal, they stared at each other. Dynast, Lord of everything frozen and cold  
and Ymnir, who *was* everything frozen and cold. And then Ymnir smiled.  
  
"I beseech you,  
wrap me into your frozen armor,  
stand by me on the field of war,"  
  
He was wrapped in ice, layers and layers of ice, shielding him, protecting him.  
  
"see through my eyes the foe before me  
let's race on your wings of northwind  
to bring forth his ultimate destruction"  
  
His eyes blazed with the power of eternal frost and two wings, formed out of  
the coldest storms of the north appeared on his back. With the last chanted  
words, the wings unfolded and started to glow. The power stabilized around  
them.  
Dynast looked at the figure of wrongness one last time and chanted the words  
that would bring the spell to its closure, hoping that he hadn't miscast   
anything.  
  
"YMNIR BLAZE!"  
  
The wings emitted a blinding blue light that rushed towards Dark Star. But  
he didn't noticed it. His being was consumed by overwhelming coldness as the  
spells power flowed through him. And it hurt! It wasn't the normal sort of  
pain, the one that gave him pleasure, but real pain that slowly forced him  
down to his knees with a gasp of agony. He had never, ever felt something like  
this and he hoped he never would again.  
  
The angry howl of Dark Star filled the air as he was wounded by the blast of  
Ymnir's power, wounded, but not destroyed. Dynast slowly stood up as the  
last of the spell's energy left him. Slowly the pain faded, to become only a  
memory. Zelgadis stood next to him and unconsciously their hands met as they  
watched Lina. It all depended on her now.  
  
***  
  
They all waited, while Filia examined the egg. Zelgadis could have told her,  
what kind of egg it was and who would hatch out of it, but it was better if  
she came to the conclusion herself. He smiled as she hugged the egg to her,  
everything was all right now. Balance was restored and now, new chaos could be  
born. Valbazards prophecy had been fulfilled. The only thing left to do, was  
telling his friends who Mashiro and he really were. A small thing in comparison  
to all the other things they had gone through, but very important to him. Even  
if those people were annoying him to his domain and back, they were his friends  
and he wanted them to stay his friends.  
  
Slowly he followed Lina and the others on their way to the closest inn. Come  
to think about it, he could use a bath before telling them the truth. Dark Star  
had made him feel soiled and filthy with his aura of wrongness and he felt in  
need of a good warm bath, a bathing companion and a nice backrub. He closed his  
eyes and smiled as he imagined all the naughty things he wanted to do to   
Dynast.  
  
Abruptly he was ripped out of his fantasies as a large group of bandits jumped  
out of their hideouts. That did it, that was the straw that broke the camels  
back. They had just saved the world, couldn't have those stupid excuses for   
human beings choose another time to attack them? He had had it. "Lina?" She   
looked at him questionly, "Let me handle them." She gave him a quick smile and  
let go of her tough facade. Zel knew she was still exhausted from the battle,  
but the others would take good care of her. He glanced at Dynast and gave him  
a tiny nod. It wasn't what he had planned, but he was pissed now and those  
bandits would be the first to learn that the Mei-ou had returned. He walked  
towards the bandits, stopped in the middle of the road.  
  
"I give you one chance: Turn around and leave now, or face the consequences."  
He addressed the leader, but the bandits simply laughed at his suggestion.  
Zelgadis had expected this, he raised his arms skyward. "Mother, allow me to  
borrow you harvest tool." He spoke, not even raising his voice and a golden  
bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky. When the light had cleared away,  
the people on the street could see that a lot had changed in that short moment.  
  
Zelgadis still stood on the same spot as he had before, but now he was holding  
a golden glowing scythe in his hands. His clothes were of the darkest black  
now and an aura of death surrounded him. The bandits paled and made to run,  
but he swung the scythe and they fell dead, as their souls were ripped from  
their bodies. Souls that were forces into fragile looking balls of golden  
crystal, materializing floating over his left hand. "Thank you, mother." He  
said and the scythe vanished in a blink of light. "And you," he spoke to the  
captured souls, "you are going to hell now." With a single twist of his hand,  
he crushed each single of the balls into tiny splitter and crystal dust.  
Then he turned around. His friends was standing there, frozen in shock, all  
but Dynast and Xellos. Now he had to wait for their reaction.  
  
***  
  
Lina stood rooted on her spot. She looked at seen everything, yet she couldn't  
believe her own eyes. And then Zelgadis turned around. He looked the same, yet  
not, with his black clothes, the golden strand of hair and the golden drenched  
eyes. And his aura... L-sama, who was he really? What was he? The way he had  
handled the bandit left only one conclusion, but it was impossible. He couldn't  
be.... or could he?  
  
She watched as Zelgadis stepped towards the others and couldn't help but flinch  
away from the feeling of violence he so casually emitted. And the level of his  
power was unbelievable high. "Zelgadis?" she whispered questionly and he tilted  
his head towards her. "Who are you?" "Who do you think I am?" He replied   
casually, while he summoned a golden crystal ball, playing with it   
absentmindedly.  
"No," she whispered, "that's impossible... that's... no.." "Is it, Lina?" He  
smiled indulgently at her. She shook her head. "No.... no I can't... Who are  
you, who are you really?" He took pity of her. "I am Mei-ou Zelgadis Greywers."  
For a moment everything was silent. Then a golden shovel materialized out of  
thin air and whacked down on his head. "Ow!" He rubbed his head then rolled his  
eyes at his mothers attics. The shovel was risen again. "Fine," He muttered   
defensively. "Zelgadis Greywers-Nightmare. Happy, mother?" The shovel flared   
brightly, as it reformed itself into something different, something   
human-shaped.   
  
The tall woman with the hair like molten gold hugged Zel from behind. "You're  
so cute when you react like this." She smiled as she rested her head on his  
shoulder. "Mom," he whined as she started to pet his hair, but he let her do  
as she pleased. There was no way to make his mother stop. But still, it was  
sooo embarrassing.  
  
Dynast couldn't help but smile as he watched Zelgadis being half squeezed to  
death by his mothers enthusiastic hug. Then L-sama's eyes wandered over the  
group to come to rest at him. He tried to swallow, but suddenly there was a big  
lump in his throat that made it almost impossible. "It is a good disguise, but  
you can drop it now." She simply said and he hurried to shift into his real  
human-like form.  
  
Lina stared, as the member of her party she had known as the halfelf Mashiro,  
started to change his form into something... no someone else. Instead of the  
halfelf she had learned to know over the past months, there stood a smaller,  
younger man, barely twenty looking, with short black hair, slit-pupiled eyes   
and a blue and silver armor. He was a real cutie, yet he oozed coldness and  
power, not unlike Zelgadis. She heard a gasp behind her and when she turned   
around she witnessed something she had believed impossible: Xellos losing his  
posture. He was staring out of wide opened eyes at the man they had known as  
Mashiro, his mouth opening and closing without making a sound. And he was   
shaking.  
  
"Xellos, what is wrong?" "Urrggk... he.. he..." Whatever it was, that had  
Xellos so shocked, it had to be something big, to have him stuttering like  
this. To bad for him that her patience was wearing thin. She grabbed him by his  
cloak and shook him. "What is it?!" Xellos saw that she was close to use the   
Laguna Blade to cut the answers out of his hide, so he did the only thing that  
could stop her... giving her the answers she wanted. "He... Ha-ou-sama..."  
  
Lina dropped the stammering mazoku, whirling around. "YOU are the Ha-ou-sama?!"  
Dynast raised an eyebrow. Her voice sounded so disbelieving. "I can't believe  
it," Lina muttered, then she shouted out in anger, "I don't believe it! Why  
are all the cute boys I meet mazoku? Am I cursed or what?!" Cute? Dynast didn't  
know if he should feel insulted or flattered. His train of thought was   
interrupted by Filia, who seemed to have just realized what had happened.  
"You are a mazoku? An Zelgadis, too?" She looked like her world had just  
crashed down on her. Zel, who had managed to wriggle out of his mothers hug  
nodded yes. "But... but I like you! How can you be mazoku when I like you?"  
Filia wailed.  
  
***  
  
Zelgadis watched the group. Filia wasn't far away from a nervous breakdown,  
Amelia and Xellos stunned into silence, Gourry was clueless and Lina looked  
like she wanted to blow something up... probably him for not telling her the  
truth. It would be better if they were somewhere, where Lina couldn't do any  
damage... somewhere nice and secluded. He shared a look with his mom. She  
winked and he smiled in return. Zelgadis concentrated. His hands closed around  
a silver staff with sapphires and onyx embedded into the metal. It was formed   
like a big key and he slammed the end of it into the ground. A bright flash of   
light exploded on the road and when the light normalized, there were no traces  
of the group that had been there just seconds before.  
  
***  
  
The first thing they all noticed was that they don't were on the road anymore.  
They looked around, confused. The room they found themselves in was cozy, held  
in earthy brown, dark green and red tones. A fire was burning in a big   
fireplace and a huge desk dominated the north of the room. The desk was stacked  
high with papers. Zelgadis cast a look at the deck and sighed. "You leave for  
a few months and work is already piling up." He shook his head. "I have to  
create some help one of these days." "Uhmmm, could anybody tell me where we  
are?" Amelia looked around to find the tiniest hint of where they were. Filia  
silently had wandered over to the desk and was reading the paper that was lying  
on top of the pile. It was a list of people, who's souls were cleaned enough for  
them to be reincarnated. Her eyes widened as she read the comments, written  
in Zelgadis neat handwriting, and the other comments in two different  
handwritings.   
  
"You are in my office in the Sea of Chaos." Zelgadis stated simply. "I thought  
it would be best if we were on somewhat neutral territorium, where nothing can   
be damaged." The last he said with a telling look in Lina's direction.  
"Your office? Neutral territorium? How can the office of a mazoku be neutral  
territorium?" Lina asked aggressive. Zel sighed. "If you go through that door,"  
he pointed to a door none of them had noticed before, "you'll come into   
Konryu-ou Shinzui's office. She runs Heaven as I run Hell. We normally meet   
here once every month to coordinate which souls are to be reincarnated, where  
and when. We work out the lists for mother to survey and when she has no   
objections, we release the souls into a new life. So this is one of the most  
neutral places you can find in the universe. Mom doesn't like fights in her   
home."   
  
Filia sat down heavily. A Mazoku Lord working together with a Dragon God?? It  
sounded impossible, yet somehow she felt that he was speaking the truth. She  
could feel all her believes shatter to leave her with a few broken shades of  
what she once had believed true. The Golden Mother sat down next to her,  
sheltering her in her arms, making her feel save and loved as Filia finally  
cried.  
  
L-sama looked down at the young dragon in her arms. She was finally letting  
go of the silly things her forefathers had believed to be right. That was good,  
even if it was painful for the young one now. Filia was on the right way now  
and L-sama had a lot of things in mind for her.  
  
After Lina had finally worked through the shock Zel's words had caused, she  
started to fire question after question, which Zelgadis calmly answered. Yet  
each answer caused her and Amelia to become more nervous and awkward then they  
were feeling already. Humans, Zelgadis realized, not matter how powerful they  
were, were not meant to know the secrets of Chaos. So he stopped the   
questioning and, with a few words of good-bye, sent Lina, Amelia and Gourry   
their merry way. Filia was still cradled in L-sama's arms and Xellos was   
unnaturally silent.   
  
The Trickster was standing on the same spot he had stood, when Zelgadis had   
brought them here. Then suddenly he started to laugh. It was hysterical   
laughter, that shook his frame without mercy and pause. He had ruined  
everything, all his master's careful plans to win over the ice-cold Dynast,  
because he had constantly pissed him off over the last months! Great Ruby Eye,  
he had tried to recruit him into Xellas-sama's ranks, the ultimate insult to a  
Mazoku Lord! True, he hadn't known that it was him, but that was a lousy excuse  
when he had to report to Juu-ou-sama. His laughter slowly changed into the  
pitiful whines of a beaten puppy. He had been outsmarted, the Trickster had  
been tricked and now Xellas would give him to Zelgadis, to the Mei-ou-sama, to  
be thrown into the deepest realms of mazoku-hell. Or maybe she would make him  
as loony as she had made Kai-ou-sama Deep Sea, letting him gnaw on an old boot  
in a corner of her den, drooling and raving mad nothingness for the rest of his  
life. He didn't know which scenario scared him more. Out of the corner of his  
eye he saw the Ha-ou-sama walking in his direction and he freaked. He didn't  
notice that Zelgadis was standing on the other side of the room, didn't thought  
about the fact that the Ha-ou and the Mei-ou were obviously lovers and that  
Dynast maybe only walked to his lovers side. No, he was sure that something  
very unpleasant would happen to him, should he stay. And so he collected all  
his powers in a mad dash and teleported away. Quite an impressive feature, for  
he managed the teleport out of the Sea of Chaos without a key, yet he didn't  
lost anything important.. like his mind, powers or memories in the process.  
  
***  
  
After the surprise of Xellos mad dashing away had quieted down, Zelgadis  
concentrated on his lover, who was sitting a little bit dejected on one of the  
stuffed chairs now, an adorably cute look of confusion on his face. He sat  
down next to him, snuggling into his unresisting form. "What's wrong?" He asked  
as he nuzzled in his neck. "I don't understand," was the whispered answer. "I  
thought I would know anything about the ways of the mazoku, but I never heard  
of this before." "You wouldn't." Zel sighed and the warm air caressing Dynast's  
neck sent shivers down his spine. "This is one of the secrets of Creation and  
I'm only now allowed to tell you. You and Filia." He looked up to see how Filia  
was doing. She had calmed down and was ready to listen. Zelgadis began.  
  
"When Mother created the worlds, she was aware of the possible danger of  
stagnation. Order, no matter of what kind, would put a stop to the evolution of  
her worlds and she thought about a way to avoid this possibility. She created  
the Race of Light and the Race of Darkness, otherwise known as the Dragons and  
the Mazoku, she made the four DemonKings and their counterparts, the four   
DragonRulers and placed them evenly on all her four worlds. Then she made the   
different subspecies and sent them to join their leaders and then she opened  
their eyes and gave them free will. That last is the really important part.   
Every last mazoku or dragon can decide his or her own fate by hating or loving   
the other species. There can't be any indifference between them, it is   
impossible. Both species are beings of extreme. And even the feelings for   
different individuals can differ greatly, as you have seen. The point is, when   
two beings of the two species meet, we are compulsed to do something, kiss,   
kill, fight or make wild passionate sex under the trees, we just can't ignore   
the other. And everytime we do so, we create chaos, chaos that helps everything  
around us to evolve." Zelgadis stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He   
stood up, started to pace around. "That is the reason, why Dark Star felt so  
wrong to us, it is not a being of Chaos anymore. It had become the ultimate   
Anti-being of Evolution and needed to be destroyed. On its world, two new  
leaders of light and darkness have already been born, let's hope they'll do   
their job better than the old two." He stopped in front of his mother and   
Filia. "Do you want me to continue with Shinzui's and my work and purpose?" She  
smiled at him and nodded.  
  
"When mother created Life, she also created After-life, and two beings to rule  
over Heaven and Hell. Outside of our domains, we have the power of a Dragon God,  
in case of Shinzui, or a Mazoku Lord, in my case. Yet inside our domains, our  
power is absolute and only mother surpasses us. The first Mei-ou, Phibrizo,  
wasn't created by Shabranighdo, he just choose to follow him, because he had a  
preference for this world. Shinzui prefers Death Fog's and Junipheid's world,  
she has a lot of followers there. But back to the original theme. 1500 years  
ago, Phibrizo started to come to work on the list more and more irregularly.  
Finally, 1000 years ago, at the beginning of the Kouma war, he stopped coming  
completely. Mother and Shinzui hoped he was only in a phase, but then he forced  
Lina to use the Giga Slave to destroy the world. When mother looked into his  
head, she found that he had gone almost completely insane. He didn't want to  
rule Hell anymore, he wanted to die, yet he was sane enough to realize that  
his death would leave Hell unguarded and the creatures of Hell could bring an  
end to everything. So he planned on destroying the world, that way Hell's   
creatures wouldn't be able to overpower the living. Mother unmade him, it was  
the kindest thing she could do to him, for his madness was part of his free  
will and she couldn't take it away without violating her promise. He would have  
stayed insane, even while dead and he wished for the madness to stop. But with   
him dead, she needed someone to become the new Mei-ou. Someone who was already   
touched by darkness, yet not in the service of a Mazoku Lord, for it would have  
given the Mazoku Lord too much power if a subordinate of him/her had become the  
new Mei-ou. As a Golem/Mazoku-chimera, I already was 1/3 mazoku, yet the only   
one who could control me was dead twice over, and I was close by, so she chose   
me. She took my soul out of my body and let me live with her in her home for  
6000 years, teaching me, watching me for signs of madness and after 100 years   
she adopted me. On this world, only a few seconds had passed when she brought  
me back to my body. And the rest, as they say, is history."  
  
  
  
tbc  
-----------------------  
  
konryu-ou : Soul/spirit Dragon King  
  
kon : Japanese for soul/spirit  
  
Shinzui : Japanese for mystery  
  
Junipheid : I sooo made the name up  



	5. Old Circles closed, New Stories begin

All Disclaimers can be found in part 1  
  
Title: Golden Spheres and Silver Snow  
Author: Simone of the Zordiak  
Part: 5/?  
E-mail: burning_night@hotmail.com  
  
Lina growled a little as she paced up and down in the small kitchen of Filia's  
house in Zephilia. Since Zelgadis had sent them back to the world-plane, she  
had neither seen or heard of him, or of his lover. She shook her head. Even  
after nine months, she couldn't believe it. Zelgadis, the Mazoku Lord? There  
was something fundamentally wrong with this picture! She had tried to find him,  
to force some more answers out of him, but he had been nowhere to be found.  
Well she could think of three places where he could be, that she hadn't   
searched, but even she wasn't able to open a gateway to the Sea of Chaos, or  
Hell and she knew that going to Dynast's Ice-fortress would be suicidal. Even   
if he had helped her in the guise of the halfelf, he no longer was part of the   
group and she didn't want to know what he was planning now. In the living room,  
Filia's voice grew louder, as she coached Val's egg through the final stages.  
Soon the little dragon would hatch. Her pacing grew more and more restless. She  
had been banned from the living room when she had almost broken one of Filia's   
favorite vases. She was more nervous than Filia and that meant a lot. But it  
wasn't every day that the last surviving member of a species hatched. A loud  
wail signaled the birth of the tiny ancient dragon and Lina rushed into the  
living room. She stopped at the door, taking in the picture. "Oh my, he is soo   
cute!"  
  
***  
  
Filia looked at the tiny baby sleeping in his crib and smiled. It had been a  
long and stressful day for the little guy and now his tiny body simply couldn't  
stay awake anymore. She stood up and blew out the single candle illuminating  
his room. Her dress rustled a little when she walked into the living room,  
which by now was empty of all her numerous guests she had received today. Lina  
had been here, driving her almost crazy with her nervousness, Milgazia, Jiras  
and Gravos. Later Luna Inverse had come by and Lina had abruptly left when she   
had seen her sister. Sometime during the next days, Amelia had promised to   
visit with her newly returned sister Gracia, Sylphiel and Gourry had sent a  
messenger that they were sorry for not coming sooner, but they had been forced   
to interrupt their journey. Filia slumped down unceremonly in one of her   
favorite chairs. Without the guests, her house felt rather empty and lonely.  
She knew Val would change that soon, but still...  
  
Someone knocked at the door. Sighing she went to answer the door. Her eyes went  
wide and she smiled as she saw who had knocked. "Shinzui! It is so nice to see   
you again." She hugged the small female Dragon God. "Filia. My favorite golden  
one. How does it feel to be a mother?"  
Filia tilted her head thoughtful. "I think it hasn't settled in yet. There was  
so much to do today, so many people. It will take a while before..." Shinzui  
nodded understandingly. "We knew you would have your hands full today. That's  
why we decided to come a bit later." "We?" Filia looked up and only now she  
noticed that Shinzui hadn't come alone. "Oh, sorry I didn't see you. I was a  
bit distracted." Zelgadis smiled openly at her. "It's OK, Filia, we don't  
mind." Filia returned his smile, then looked at his silent companion. She   
opened her mouth to greet him, then got a confused look on her face. "At which  
name shall I call you?" "Dynast is fine with me," he answered shortly. Even  
after several months, being close to Shinzui was making him uncomfortable.  
Especially since the mischievous dragon liked to play pranks at everyone, him  
included.  
  
Filia gestured for them to come inside when Zel spoke up again. "We have   
brought somebody else with us, I hope you don't mind it, but he's been really  
anxious to see Val again." Again? She thought confused, but then she nodded her  
consent. From behind them, a man appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He was   
tall, roughly build and had red hair, that almost reached the ground. "Filia,  
meet Maryu-ou Gaav." Gaav? But he was dead! How could he be here when he was  
dead? "But you are dead," she blurted out. "He was dead, Filia, but now he's  
alive again." Zel stated and when she looked at the Mei-ou, she felt really  
stupid. Obviously Gaav had been reincarnated, like so many other people she had  
been told about. Without any further words she let them in. Gaav instantly went  
to Val's room, sitting down in front of the crib and staring at the tiny bundle  
of aqua hair, peach skin and delicate darkblue/black wings.  
Filia wanted to go after him, to see that he wasn't doing anything to her  
precious little Val, but Zel held her back. "Let him, Filia. Valgaav has been  
like a son to him. When we told him what had happened to him, he has been  
devastated. He needs some time with him, to redefine his role in his life."  
And Filia let him be.  
  
Later, Filia didn't know how much later, but she felt rather tired so it had to  
have been quite some time that had passed, she silently crept into Val's room.  
She couldn't suppress a smile at the quiet picture before her. Sometime during  
the last hours, Val had obviously woken up and Gaav had taken him out of his   
crib to keep him quiet. Now he was lying on the floor, sleeping and Val was  
curled on his chest, sucking his thumb, sleeping as well. The arms of the  
Chaos Dragon were wrapped protectingly around his precious little bundle and  
Filia knew she couldn't separate them without waken them... something she  
didn't have the heart to do. Instead she went to fetch a spare blanket, tucking  
it around the sleeping pair.   
  
"They are sooo cute," whispered Shinzui from the doorway. "We should take a  
picture of them," she turned to the silent pair next to her, "Zel, could   
you...?" She made big pleading eyes at him and he sighed in defeat. "OK. But no  
blackmailing until Val is 21, understood?" She pouted, but agreed. Zelgadis  
concentrated and three little, multicolored balls of crystal appeared in his   
hand. "Done."  
  
Filia joined them at the door, looking questionly at the three crystal balls.  
They didn't look like soulorbs and she trusted him not to do anything dangerous  
in her home, but she was curious what they were. With a knowing smile Dynast   
led them into the living room.   
  
"Let us see them. Come on, please?" Shinzui bounced around the slightly   
embarrassed Mei-ou. Zelgadis shook his head at her attics, but complied with her  
pleading. Fascinated Filia watched as he fed a little bit of magic into the   
balls, which expanded until they were flat multicolored crystal pictures of the  
scene they had seen in Val's room. "This is beautiful, Zel how do you made   
those?" "I use the afterimages left by the souls to create them. Practically  
these are frozen moments of life. It's a little something I found out while   
experimenting with my powers. I think each one of the servants of mother could   
do something similar." "Yes, but you wont teach me how to do it. Meanie."  
Shinzui pouted. "Because you only want to learn it to get pictures of Chaotic  
Blue in the shower." Zelgadis mock glared at her, crossing his arms. She pouted  
some more, using her best 'innocent me' look at him, then she sighed as she  
realized that it didn't had the desired effect.  
  
Her pout vanished and she squealed happily as Zel handed her one of the three   
pictures. Another one he gave to Filia, who was a bit surprised by the  
unsuspected gift. The last picture Dynast tucked into a hidden pocket in his  
cloak. "You didn't made one for HER?" Filia asked as she saw him handing the  
last picture to his lover. "No, mom likes to make her own pictures. If you ever  
come to the Sea of Chaos again, remind me to take you an a tour to her Hall of  
Memories. She has pictures from everywhere and everyone. Except those..," and  
he glared at Shinzui again, "..that this crazy dragon stole." The female   
Dragon God whistled innocently, yet the tips of her ears were of a rosy hue. "I  
don't know why, she must have hundreds of pictures of him already. Her entire  
room is pflasterd with his pictures." He shook his head sadly. "You want to  
know the strangest thing of it? She's had this raging crush at him for several  
thousand years, but every time he's close by, she can't open her mouth. She's  
never told him. It's a pity." At this point of his story, Shinzui's tail was  
sticking out from her dress and she was deeply red in her face. "Mom, he's   
being mean!" She shouted towards the ceiling. To Shinzui's big disappointment,   
L-sama decided not to whack him with her shovel, but her loud laughter was   
audible in the room.  
  
***  
  
He didn't know when they finally left Filia's house, it had to have been very  
late, but before he could have some private snuggle time, he had to check  
something. Zel teleported into a tree, to watch the events unfold.   
  
He hated this. Mother had forbidden him to interfere, this had to happen, yet  
he felt guilty for not stopping it. But fate was nothing to trifle with.  
  
The three nekojin camping in the clearing under his hiding-place had no chance  
against the bandits that were storming their camp. The man was a vicious   
fighter, but the bandits had the upper hand just because of their numbers. He  
felt the souls of the pair leave, striving upwards to his sisters realm. The  
third member of the party had been hidden before the prying eyes of the band  
of murderers yet and if anything went as he had predicted it... there they  
were, Sylphiel and Gourry, woken through the noise of the fight. They had  
camped not far away and now Gourry was cutting through the bandits like they  
were only made out of wet paper. Sylphiel kneeling next to the fallen woman,  
trying to find any sign of life. Gourry, finished with the bandits, moved to  
stand next to her. It was time to appear on the scene.   
  
Both of them whirled around as he walked into the clearing. Gourry greeted him  
as if nothing had happened, mispronouncing his name as usual, but Sylphiel had  
heard about him becoming a Mazoku Lord and eyed him uncertainly. "What are you  
doing here?" she blurted out.   
"Collecting souls, Sylphiel." He waved with his fingers and the mistlike souls  
of the bandits floated to hoover and then disappeared through a tiny portal   
over his hand. "They were murderers, so they belong to my domain and I came in   
person to check up the little one."  
She looked around, confused. "What little one?" He walked past her, opening one  
the packs of the dead travelers, revealing a sleeping baby boy. "His name is   
Azarias and one day he will be a warrior of fate." Sylphiel looked at the   
child. He had the most delicate cat-ears, poking out of purplish red hair,  
and his hands were holding his fluffy cat-tail in a deathgrip. Warrior of fate   
or not, right now he was only a baby and he hadn't anyone to take care of him  
anymore.  
  
"He's so small." "Yes, and he has nobody left to care for him, Sylphiel, so  
you will take care of him." "What? Why me?" Zelgadis shook his head. "I don't  
think that my domain is the right place to raise children... I'm Mei-ou, a   
mazoku, I wouldn't be able to raise him properly. And there is no one else  
except you. Or do you know of anyone who could take care of him?" Sylphiel  
shook her head. No, she didn't know anybody. She reached out and touched the  
baby boys check. His ears started to twitch and then he opened big, bright,  
jadegreen eyes, the slit-pupiled eyes of the nekojin, looking at her while  
sucking at his thumb. And Sylphiel's heart melted.  
  
***  
  
Zelgadis smiled as he merged with the shadows. Another circle closed, another  
story brought to an end. Sylphiel would take good care of the boy, finally   
letting go of the memories of the past, rejoining the living. And the child,  
harboring the reincarnated soul of Sairaags destroyer, would finally know the  
joys of his own life and identity.  
  
***  
  
The months passed. Gaav had long since moved into Filia's house and Val had  
started calling him dad, as he was calling Filia mom. The relationship between  
Gaav and Filia developed slowly, but surely and all who knew her had gotten  
used to the sight of the two of them together... almost all of them. Lina had  
already tried to kill him three times and it was only because of Zelgadis  
interference that she was still alive. Gaav was slowly getting frustrated with  
her. She didn't seem to be able to get over with the past. Hell, Zel didn't  
held a grudge against him and if he remembered correctly, he had almost killed  
his now-sibling. And like her, most of the dragons couldn't accept Filia's   
choice of partner, breaking their contacts with her. The only one still   
visiting them on regularly basis was the young golden dragon elder Milgazia,  
but boy, was he stuffy. He endured him for Filias sake, secretly plotting for a  
way to make him loosening up a little. So far without success. But today that  
wasn't important. He felt his fingers shake a little as he brushed out his  
hair... he wanted to look at his best, now that he finally had decided to take   
that last step. Today he was going to propose to her.  
  
***  
  
Warmth, precious warmth. Dynast snuggled closer to the source of bodyheat,   
entrapping the other man in his arms. So warm, pliable. One of his hands   
started to wander, slowly tracing a path over his partners chest, outlining  
every little stone imbedded into his lover's skin. Zel was such a beautiful  
creature. And Zelgadis was all his, just as he belonged to him in return. He  
sighed as he let himself drift back into halfsleep. Such peaceful moments were  
rare and to be savored. Unfortunately this moment was coming to an abrupt end.  
  
A red and orange whirlstorm appeared in their room, whooping with joy, dragging  
him away from his bedmate and into a bonecrushing bearhug. "She said yes!" The  
Gaav-whirlwind shouted again and again, while finally letting him out of the  
hug... only to wake Zel with the same method. Dynast had had it. Nobody   
interrupted his private snuggle time! He summoned several years worth of arctic  
coldness into a small ball and threw it at his overzealous brother. Gaav was  
shockfrozen long enough for him and Zel to really wake up and get dressed.  
  
"So, now that you have cooled down a little, could you tell us why you deemed  
it fit to wake us like that? All this bouncing and raving like a lunatic, I   
thought madness was Dolphins métier." Gaav whacked him and then started   
bouncing again. "She said yes! I asked her and she said yes! Isn't that  
fantastic?" And again Dynast was victim of his overenthusiastic brother as he  
was hugged and shaken and twirled around.  
  
"From all your shouting and bouncing I take it that your proposal to Filia has  
been successful." Zelgadis dry voice cut through the room and Gaav sheepishly  
dropped Dynast on the ground. Still the smile on Gaav's face let the brightest  
lightning spell appear like a dim flicker. Had he been a human, his happiness  
would have rendered his brothers incapable of doing anything, but luckily for  
those two, only human emotions had those effects... So after Dynast had whipped  
some none-existing dust from his clothes, he congratulated his brother for his  
luck. Filia, with her strong spirit and quick temper would be a worthy mate for  
Gaav. He was happy for his brother, who had sprung the important question to  
his mate sooner than him. Out of the corner of his eyes he glanced at his own  
special one. One day he would spring the question to him... someday soon. He  
already had found the perfect rings. Silently he watched as his lover embraced  
his brother. The smile playing around Zel's lips was genuine and he couldn't  
help, but feel a wave of warmth washing through him. Warmth... those feelings  
were precious to him, before he had met Zel he hadn't felt something like that.  
And one of his own, rare smile graced his lips.  
  
***  
  
Lina Inverse world was rapidly spinning out of control. Filia, a ryzoku, a  
priestess of the Fire Dragon King, was going to marry a mazoku! And not any  
mazoku, but the Chaos Dragon! The one that had tried to kill her, Lina Inverse,  
sorceress supreme! That couldn't be real, this had to be a horrible mistake, a  
nightmare! Yet it was true. The preparations for the wedding were already  
running wild, as both had planned to invite lots of people... ryzoku, mazoku,  
humans and other creatures she had no name for. And nobody was there to help  
her stop this madness. Gourry was happily playing father to Sylphiel's adopted  
son, Xellos has vanished without a trace and Amelia was helping Filia with the  
preparations. Milgazia, the golden dragon elder, had agreed to take SaiChuRo's  
place at the wedding and give her away. Dynast and Shinzui were going to be the   
witnesses and Zelgadis was arranging for the priest. Lina shook her head. It  
looked like everything was against her. Even her own sister! That had been a   
real shock. Even if she had problems with her personally, Luna was still the  
Knight of Ceipheid, and as such had to protect the ryzoku against the mazoku.  
But Luna Inverse had just calmly asked if she could be the maid of honor!  
  
***  
  
"Do I really have to wear this? It is so tight." Gaav complained as he tugged  
at his tie. Dynast watched as his brother paced through the room like a caged  
animal, nervousness radiating out of every pore of his body. In all his life,  
he had never seen him like this. But then again, he had never seen him getting  
married before. "Yes you do. You promised Filia, remember?" Gaav groaned and  
slumped into a chair. "It's the eyes... she always gets me with the eyes. When  
I 'm about to say no to something, she turns those big pouty eyes at me and I'm  
lost. Remember that, they always get you with that pouty look." For a moment  
Dynast was confused... why did Gaav warn him about that? Then he turned around  
and his eyes met Zel, who stood in the doorway, looking at him with the most  
adorable pouty expression on his face.... he could feel his insides turn to  
mush. In this moment, he would have done anything for him. Gaav, who had  
followed his eyes, groaned. "It's already to late for you. I told you the eyes  
would get you." Zelgadis winked at him, mischievously. "Actually I'm here  
because we are about to begin. Are you ready?" One last time the nervous groom  
fought with his tie, than he straightened and followed Zelgadis out of the   
room.  
  
***  
  
The temple was decorated in red and gold. Red for Gaav and gold for Filia and  
everyone had to admit that the colors went well together.. which unfortunately  
wasn't true for the wedding guests. Xellas was sitting in the back, fuming  
because she wasn't allowed to smoke, Dolphin was playing with crystallized   
jellyfish and humming insanely and the other mazoku were having a staring match  
with the invited ryzoku, but they didn't dared to do anything else, because  
Zelgadis had announced to send anybody, who disturbed this wedding, to hell and  
everyone had taken a look at the serious looking Mei-ou and had decided not to  
try his patience. He was quickly developing the reputation of being the most  
feared mazoku after Shabranighdo-sama.  
  
Right now, Zelgadis wasn't doing anything to proof his reputation, he was   
merely speaking with Sylphiel and Gourry Gabriev, apologizing for not having  
been able to attend their wedding and checking up their child. The pair looked  
happy, having settled down in the slowly growing NeoSairaag and from the look  
of Sylphiel's gently swollen belly, it looked like their boy was going to have  
a sibling in a few months... a sister, Zel could tell by looking at the unborn's  
soul.  
  
Zel watched as Gaav, Shinzui and Dynast took their positions before the altar  
and gave the musician the signal. He could think about possible futures later,  
right now he had a wedding to manage.  
  
  
tbc  
-----------------------  
  
Chaotic Blue : Demon King of one of L-sama's other worlds  
  
nekojin : Catpeople  



	6. Declarations of Love

All Disclaimers can be found in part 1  
  
Title: Golden Spheres and Silver Snow  
Author: Simone of the Zordiak  
Part: 6/6  
E-mail: burning_night@hotmail.com  
  
  
The musicians started the wedding march and Filia appeared at the end of the  
aisle, wearing a dream of white and being lead by a still serious as ever   
looking Milgazia. All the other noises in the temple died down when all eyes  
became glued to this vision of beauty walking down the aisle.  
A few hisses could be heard when Milgazia handed over Filia to be wed, but a  
sharp look of the eyes of the Mei-ou silenced the would-be interrupters.  
And then the priest stepped forward.... or better the priestess, for there,  
wearing a simple black and white dress, open hair fanning around her like a   
cape and for once not glowing, stood the mother of all. Every last sound in the  
temple stopped. A pin could be heard falling in this absolute silence and more   
than one wedding guest could hear her/his own, frantic beating heart.  
"Children...," her soft voice could be heard even in the last corner of the  
temple, "my son asked me to wed these two, for he knew if a ryzoku married  
them, the mazoku wouldn't have accepted the marriage and if it had been a  
mazoku to wed them, the ryzoku would have acted the same. I am the mother of  
all, everyone is my child and my authority is absolute. Is there anybody in  
this room to doubt my claim?" The room remained silent. "Good, so you all will  
accept this marriage as valid." She smiled and softly started to glow. "My dear  
children....." She started the wedding ceremony.  
  
***  
  
Zel watched the newlywed couple sway to the music. The wedding had gone very  
well, after mother had appeared. Everyone had chosen to behave, for L-sama's  
temper was nothing to trifle with. Unconsciously he started to play with Filia's  
bouquet. He had caught it earlier... or better it had caught him. Filia had  
thrown it over her shoulder with all her ryzoku-strengst, throwing it far over  
the heads of the waiting single women and hitting him smack in the face. It had  
nearly knocked him out. Reflex had made him catch it before it fell to the   
ground. And now he stood there, a single man with a bride's bouquet and the  
only one he wanted to marry was nowhere in sight. He sighed softly. "What is  
wrong?" A much welcomed voice asked him as two arms sneaked around him from  
behind to settle around his waist. He leaned in the warmth of his lover,  
inhaling his unique scent. "Nothing...," he whispered, but his hands still  
played with the flowers.  
  
Dynast saw the slightly dishelved flowers in his hands and could guess what was  
happening. His hand slipped in one of his pockets... it was a good thing that  
he had made sure that everything was all right before... "You know I just had a  
small conversation with your mother.... " Zel's ears peaked up. Why would   
Dynast have a talk with L-sama? Why was he telling him about it? And why was  
his heart suddenly beating so fast? "I wanted to make sure... that she has  
nothing against it... that she would allow me to...." He was stuttering and he  
knew it. Yet there was nothing he could do against it. Zelgadis wiggled in his  
arms until he could turn around and look into his eyes. The moment Dynast  
looked into his eyes he knew he was lost. Gone were all the careful selected  
words, gone the last of his calm posture. "I...," his fingers closed around the  
ring, "I love you... marry me." The words were out of his constricted throat  
and he felt like a heavy glacier had been taken from his chest as he looked  
into the happy eyes of his lover, as he was embraced by him, kissed and the  
answer he had hoped so much for was whispered in his ear again and again.  
  
On the other side of the room L-sama watched as Dynast asked her baby boy to  
marry him. She could feel the joy, the happiness he emitted and allowed herself  
a single tear of happiness. It was good. Very good. Her child would never be   
lonely with his mate, his bonded one, for they were meant to complete each  
other. And yet... she felt a little bit sad. Her son was going to marry, he was  
no longer only hers. But this feeling of melancholy didn't last long, her son  
would still be her son, married or not and Dynast was good for him. Sad   
feelings, all but forgotten she settled back to watch the two and... to plan  
a wedding.  
  
***  
  
Gaav couldn't help but laugh as he watched the blond and normally stuffy dragon  
boy, his checks flushed, his clothes rumpled as he hit on an equally as drunk  
Xellas. So that was the way to make Milgazia loosen up a little. Just get him  
drunk and then settle back to watch the fun. He hadn't known that the dragon  
knew so many dirty songs... and that thing with the punchbowl, the fork and the  
banana had sent him into loud fits of laughter... who would have known....  
could have suspected that the stuffy boy knew something like this! Well, even  
the stuffious one had been young once, so it maybe could come from his wild   
youth.. Oh look! His little sister had obviously drunken very much, to be doing  
something like this to a dragon... and in public. A flash of something caught   
his eye and he turned around, just in time to see Zel putting some crystals into  
a pocket of his coat. A wide grin settled on his face as he considered the   
possibilities of this. Hmmm... it would be nice to see their reactions to those  
pictures. But how to get them from Zel... someone gently touched his arm and  
when he looked up, to see who it was, he looked straight into the eyes of his  
newly betrothed. She was smiling at him and only at him. Making plans to  
embarrass the stuffy one could wait, he decided as he followed his wife to the   
dancefloor.  
  
***  
  
He couldn't help but grin as he put the picture orbs into his pocketdimension.  
Xellas face when she would see those pictures... it was worth any trouble he  
might get in with the Juu-ou. But maybe he should lead Milgazia towards safer  
hunting grounds, Xellas wasn't known for her tolerance and even drunk she  
could do more damage than he could possibly prevent. A small wave of misery  
turned his attention towards a certain redhead that was sitting rather dejected  
in a corner, staring into a glass of zephilian wine.  
His head turned back to the drunk dragon and a rather evil smile settled on his  
face. This could be... interesting. He created a small magic distraction for  
Lina and with a few mumbled words replaced her wine with something stronger.  
"What did you just do?" asked the voice of his koi. "I replaced her zephilian  
wine with jigoku wine, which is thousand times stronger than the strongest  
mortal wine. It should get her drunk rather nicely." "But why?" "Because I want  
to set her up with our drunken dragon there... they'll end up in bed and he'll  
do the honorable thing. Then they will have a brunch of offspring and I don't  
have to think about how I prevent them from starting the next war anymore. And  
because they are good for each other." Together they watched as a drunk Lina  
wandered over to an equally as drunk Milgazia and they seemed to hit it off.  
And because the wine had lowered their inhibitions, Zelgadis was getting some  
more indiscriminating pictures. "This will do nicely," he murmured, "now I can  
make sure that they marry."   
Dynast looked at him, puzzled. "Do you plan on getting all your friends  
married?" Zelgadis shook his head. "Actually I only wanted to pair off Gaav  
and Filia, 'cause mom said that they were meant to be, and Lina and Milgazia,  
because if they stay alone any longer they are bound to start a war the world  
isn't ready to see yet. Gourry and Sylphiel would have wed without my help,  
but I owed Azarias' soul a favor, because Phibrizo messed up his last life.  
So I gave them a little nudge, nothing more. I don't plan on doing anything for  
Amelia, Phil has his own plans for her and Xellos...," He shrugged, "...well he  
has to live through Xellas punishment first. Did you hear what she had done to   
him?" He grinned widely and Dynast mirrored that grin as he nodded rather  
enthusiastically. "She's such a genius with punishment. I think sometimes I  
have to take notes from her." "Hmhmmm." He murmured and snuggled into his   
beloved's chest. "Come... let's dance."  
  
***  
  
Not so far away a young pup complained his fate. He whined softly as he thought  
about the last few days. Xellas had done something worse than he had imagined  
possible. She had locked him into this form, powerless, helpless, to be a pet  
until she forgave him and decided he had suffered enough. And suffering he did.  
The last few days he had lived at a pet store, with children tugging at his  
ears and pulling his tail, until this morning, when a young couple had come in  
to buy a pet for themselves and their young child. He had been chosen, marked,  
fitted with a collar and bought from the merchant. Xellos emitted a long puppy  
wail. This was worse than anything. He officially belonged to Gourry Gabriev  
now.  
  
***  
  
They were swaying in time to the music, locked in their own, private world.  
The feelings they had for each other tangible in the air around them. They  
didn't care who saw them or what they were thinking about them. Zelgadis was  
holding his beloved one tightly to him, marveling at the emotions he could feel  
emitting from him. Feelings that had been hidden so deeply and so long laying  
open before him. Such an act of trust... and he replied likewise, lowering all  
his mental defenses for his koibito.  
  
***  
  
She woke up with the headache of the century. Great Ruby eye, how did this  
happened? Her head trobbed in tact with her overly loud heartbeat and her eyes  
felt like they were three times too big for her skull. She obviously had the  
hangover from hell... strange, she normally held her liquor better than this.  
Lina let herself slump back into the bed, her head was pounding far too loud  
for her to stand up, better to stay in bed for a little while longer, snuggling  
into the warmth... wait! What warmth? She painfully opened a bleary eye and did  
a halfturn with her hammering head to see... blond long hair (what was it with  
her and blond guys, a detached part of her mused), male, a really yummy   
physique and he was still asleep.... and not wearing any clothes. Even hangover  
as she was, Lina was able to do the math. And she did something, anyone, who had  
woken with a hangover, can tell you was the ultimate sin, the absolute worst   
thing to do while suffering from a drinking spree: she sat straight up and  
screamed.  
  
***  
  
The scream gelled through the rooms of the inn, waking all the other occupants.  
"Looks like Lina has woken up. Hope she enjoys her present," Zel muttered  
sleepily and turned back to his bedmate. He would like to see her face at the  
moment, but on the other side... he had better things to do.  
  
***  
  
Waking up to a scream is not the best way to wake up, waking up to a scream  
while suffering from a hangover is one of the worst things that can happen to  
you. So one can forgive Milgazia that his brain wasn't completely working when  
he was so abruptly woken. If he had been really awake and not hindered by his  
raging headache, he might have realized how dangerous the situation was for his  
health. But so he reached out to the small redhead, pulled her into a tight   
hug, shushed her silent and went back to sleep.  
  
And after a few minutes of stunned silence, Lina did the same.  
  
*** several months later ***  
  
How fast everything could change, Lina mused while Sylphiel braided her hair.  
Just a few month ago she had been thinking about how wrong it was for Filia  
to marry outside of her race and now she was sitting here, preparing to attend  
Zelgadis and Dynast wedding and planning for her own. A somewhat goofy grin  
appeared on her face as she thought about her finance. He was so sweet in his  
courtship, intelligent, strong, handsome and absolutely lovable and cuddly.   
She sighed.   
  
"Thinking about him again?" Sylphiel asked, already knowing the answer. Since  
the memorable day when Lina and Milgazia had woken up in the same bed, cuddling,  
she had noticed remarkable changes in the redhead sorceress. She was more  
balanced now, more matured and didn't fireball everyone who was making comments  
about her breast size anymore. And she was glowing, she was glowing and she had  
this look in her eyes... the same look Sylphiel knew she had in her own eyes  
every time she looked at her Gourry-sama.  
  
***  
  
"Tell me again, mom, why do I have to do this?" Zelgadis paced in his room. He  
knew it had been a mistake to let his mother make the wedding arrangements, but  
to tell this the almighty mother of all? Every minute he was away from his  
koi made him more and more antsy as the need to be with him grew with every  
single second. Mazoku normally didn't have any formal weddings. The question was  
asked, answered and then both would exchange bits of their astral essence to  
bind each to the other, but mother, inspired by Filias' and Gaav's wedding, had  
insisted on a ceremony and had decided to organize it herself. And she had  
told them that they had to wait with the exchange of astral essence until they  
were properly wed and this unanswered need to merge astraly with his lover   
hurt.   
L-sama smiled as she watched his restless pacing. "Because I'm your mother and  
because you agreed to let me do it. Come now, son. It won't be any longer."  
Zelgadis sighed in defeat. "Please mom, let it be a short ceremony? I really  
need to bound with him and this need hurts." She nodded as she felt his pain  
vibrating deep inside his being. "It will be OK, child, you'll see." She  
murmured as she pulled him into a motherly hug.  
  
***  
  
The ceremony L-sama had arranged for them was very different from the wedding  
celebration Gaav and Filia had had. It didn't took place in a temple, but a  
cave, deeply hidden in the Kataart Mountains, illuminated by seemingly countless  
black and white candles. There weren't as many guests as at Filias wedding  
because both Dynast and Zelgadis had insisted that it should be a small wedding.  
Instead of an altar, there was a large circle craved into the ground, a circle  
covered with symbols so old that only L-sama herself did knew their meanings.  
Inside the circle stood Dynast and Zelgadis, facing the mother of all as she  
came to them, carrying a chalice and a knife.  
  
Mazoku don't bleed, but this knife was created to cut into their astral essence,  
removing a small part of it from them to be collected in the chalice. It hurt,  
but in a good way, the pleasure-pain washed over them as they watched their   
essence swirling and merging in the chalice. Uniting for all time. L-sama smiled  
as she started to chant something in a language, dead and forgotten by all but  
her. The chalice and its contents started to glow faintly as the spell was  
completed. What had been parts of two was now one, a liquid-like, midnightblue  
shimmering mass. She looked at them. "Do you swear on this essence and on my  
power, to stay honest with each other, to take care of each other, to love each  
other beyond eternity?" Zelgadis and Dynast shared a short look before they  
replied solemnly: "We swear it." "Do you swear to respect each other, to help   
each other and to share everything with each other?" "We swear it." "And do you  
swear to protect and to help chaos in all its forms?" Again Zel and Dynast  
shared a look. This hadn't been part of the original oath, it looked like  
L-sama had added it on her own. They looked at L-sama and replied in unison:   
"We swear it." L-sama smiled and raised the knife again. A tiny drop of her own  
essence joined the mixed essence of the two and merged with it with a blinding  
flash of light. She held the chalice out to them. Without further words Zel and  
Dynast shared the essence between them.  
It was.. like fire, icy fire flowing through their beings and a feeling of  
unity, of being linked with the other that settled deep inside of them. Need  
was burning inside of them, a hunger not to be denied. Without thinking about  
it, they switched into their astral forms to complete the merging.  
Blue, white, black, gold and silver... weaving themselves into complex patterns.  
Emotions, memories, thoughts... everything was laid open for the other one to  
see, to experience. When they finally let go, they were one in heart, mind and  
soul. Bonded forever.  
  
***  
  
It was late... so late that it was almost early again, when Dynast and Zel  
entered a small cave where L-sama was waiting for them. She couldn't help but  
smile at the expressions of their faces. They were so blissfully happy that it  
shone from every cell of their beings. She had to forcefully tear her thoughts  
from some less than innocent subjects.... she was here to see them off on their  
honeymoon.... and to give them her wedding gifts. "Before I see you off, I have  
something for you. Consider it my wedding gifts." Her hands closed around two  
beautiful crafted weapons. A scythe and a sword. "This is the Shitsunen no Ken,  
the Sword of Oblivion. I made it for you and it will follow only your commands."  
She handed the sword to Dynast. "And I think you know this weapon already," she  
said as she handed the scythe to Zelgadis. "The Zenkai no Gai... but mother..."  
"You use it more often then I do and frankly, I think it is only appropriate   
for you to have it. Use it wisely, that's all I ask... that goes for you too,  
Dynast."  
  
Dynast nodded mutely, he could feel the power of the sword thrumming at the  
edge of his awareness and it was a rather strange experience. Zelgadis gave his  
mother a hug and then stepped to stand next to his mate.  
"Now, that you have received my gifts, I'm going to send you off to your  
honeymoon. I think I've found the perfect place for you. From the fate-scrolls  
I have been receiving, it is a peaceful and romantic little corner of the  
universe, perfect for a honeymoon." She smiled as a faint blush tinted Zel's  
checks. L-sama waved her hand and with a single outburst of golden power, the  
newlyweds were gone.  
  
I hope they have fun, she thought as she went to attend the party.   
  
*** fin ***  
  
Until the sequel ^_^  
  
-----------------------  
  
Koi : Love  
  
jigoku : hell  
  
koibito : beloved one, sweetheart  
  
shitsunen : oblivion  
  
ken : sword  
  
zenkai : complete destruction  
  
gai : scythe  
  
So the Zenkai no Gai is the Scythe of complete Destruction 


End file.
